


There Were Many Miles Between Us (But They Didn't Mean a Thing)

by pinky_heaven19



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Boys In Love, Dry Humping, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Hand Jobs, Innocent Niall, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-22 17:33:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 50,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7447972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinky_heaven19/pseuds/pinky_heaven19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry sees he has short, blonde-dyed hair, flat on his head. He's wearing jeans that have dirt stains on them and a shirt that doesn't look any better. When he turns around Harry sees he has the same blue eyes as his father, but a softer expression.</p>
<p>The boy smiles and Harry catches a glimpse of crooked teeth. Harry is watching him move about the kitchen, talking with an extremely thick Irish accent. Harry thinks he's the one with the accent, really, being the foreigner and all. </p>
<p>He's frozen in place when Niall spots him and gives him a huge smile that completely changes his face.</p>
<p>“Seems like our guest is here,” he says and all eyes are suddenly on him. </p>
<p>OR The one where Harry goes to a farm in Ireland for summer vacation and meets Niall, the sweetest boy he's ever known.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to my first Narry fic. The prompt for this story came from my dear friend Jaqueline, who suggested I write Niall this way. Huge thanks to her for always reading and freaking out at just the right times. This story would be full of typos and mistakes if the beautiful [JohnDoe221B](http://archiveofourown.org/users/JohnDoe221B) hadn't done such a brilliant beta job. She has helped me with suggestions that were frequently put in the story.  
> Also, there's a little bit of Larry in this, just to add to the drama and get things going, but it's so minor I didn't put it in the tags.  
> Title comes from the song Tryin' to Get to You, by Elvis Presley.  
> Enjoy your reading! :)

Harry knows he's not being punished. Really, he does. But when he steps out of the plane and walks into _Arrivals_ in the Dublin airport, he can't help but feel that his mother sent him there out of spite.   
  
The space is crowded as he maneuvers his heavy suitcase and carry-on. He definitely will need a lot of things if he is going to spend a whole month there. And being stuck on a goddamn farm in the middle of nowhere doesn't mean he won't dress nice.  
  
He takes off his sunglasses and folds them, tucking them in the V of his T-shirt. His eyes scan the room as he looks for the person who is going to pick him up. Soon, he spots a mass of red hair waving at him and walking in his direction. He breaks into a smile.  
  
“Aunt Jenny!” He exclaims and lets himself be hugged tight, folding his arms around the small woman's waist.  
  
“Harry! Oh my God, I can't believe it's you!” She says with a smile, stepping back and holding his face in her hands. Her brown eyes are smiling just as much as her lips are. “You've gotten so big. Look how tall you are,” she says, and he's smiling so wide his cheeks hurt. He missed her.  
  
“You look great with red hair, aunt Jenny.”  
  
“Always a charmer,” she says and they start walking towards the exit. “I like that you're growing your hair, too. How long are you planning on growing it out?” She asks, softly running her fingers through his curls that fall below his ears.   
  
“Only until my mum freaks out enough,” he half jokes.   
  
“Oh, come on. You're eighteen now, isn't it time for teenage rebellion to end?” She says as they walk towards her pickup truck.   
  
“It never even started,” he defends himself, although that's not true and they both know it.   
  
“Fine. I've got a whole month to lecture you. Hop in.”  
  
He puts his luggage in the back with a grunt, spotting small strands of grass here and there. He enters the battered pickup and the first thing Harry notices is the smell: a mix of fresh eggs and grass and something else he can't identify just yet. He scrunches his nose and slides in the passenger seat.   
  
“How was your flight, sweetie?” She asks as she starts driving out of the airport.   
  
“It was fine, just a little bumpy.”  
  
“Ugh, I hate flying,” she says and it's not a secret to anyone how much she despises being off solid ground. Nevertheless, she still has many more miles under her belt than anybody else Harry knows.   
  
“You can always take the ferry to visit us in London, you know,” he says, but he's not looking at her. Instead he's staring out the window as they reach the freeway. From the little bit he could see from Ireland, it truly was beautiful.   
  
“I know, but I've just been so busy with the farm and all. It's a lot to take care of.”  
  
“I hope I'm not intruding too much.”  
  
“Nonsense,” she waves him off. “It's great to have you here. I can't believe we haven't seen each other in two years! And I miss your mom and sister so much, too.”  
  
“They miss you, too,” he says and smiles at her.  
  
“Mullingar is not far, and the farm is just a ten minute drive from the main street. You'll love it here, Harry. It's beautiful.”  
  
“It must be, to steal your London heart,” he jokes and she laughs.  
  
“It wasn't Ireland who stole my heart, but I'm glad he lives here,” she says and winks at him. Harry laughs and listens to her chat all the way to the farm, asking questions about him and his family.  
  
Jennifer is not really his aunt, but he's been calling her like that since he learned how to speak. She's his mother's best friend and their families have been sharing a life for over twenty years. In addition to being his mother's best friend, she was also her business partner. Until she met Brian, that is.  
  
Harry can clearly remember how joyful his mum pretended to be when Jennifer announced she'd met the most perfect man in the entire world and how she was going to move to Ireland so they could be together. She'd smiled and hugged her and said she would be fine, she could handle the business on her own – and did. Has done for the last two years, since Jennifer moved to Ireland.  
  
But Harry can also remember how sad she'd gotten afterwards, when it was only the three of them.   
  
“It's so selfish of me, to be sad when I'm really not. I just didn't want her to move so far away,” his mother had said, and he could see how she was struggling not to cry in front of them.   
  
Things worked out eventually, as they always do. They talked on the phone for hours, his mum always asking for her opinion on risky business and chatting about life in general. They were all so busy that most of the time they barely noticed the distance, but it was there, and they all felt it.   
  
“We're here,” she says with a smile. They're on a dirt road now, and Harry can see ryegrass all around him, and he doesn't know exactly where “here” is. She sees his confusion and explains. “This is where our land begins, the house and crops are a little ahead.”  
  
And Harry is stunned. He knows they live on a big farm, has seen pictures of it, but he never realized just how much a few hundred acres actually are. He takes a deep breath and lets the pure, clean air fill his lungs. He smiles with his eyes closed. You don't have air like this in London.   
  
Just a couple of minutes later and he sees it, the big farm house that he's seen countless of pictures of.   
  
It's gorgeous. The exposed brick walls covered partially with ivy, the two floors with white painted windows facing east. There's an annex winter garden, its glass walls shining in the late afternoon.   
  
She parks the pickup in front of it and Harry gets off, admiring the construction in front of him.   
  
“It's over one hundred years old,” his aunt tells him and he rushes up to help when he notices she's picking up his heavy suitcase.   
  
“It looks nice,” he says, completely honest.  
  
“A pain to heat during winter, though,” she confesses and they cross the threshold.   
  
Harry is surprised to see it looks nothing like her old flat in London. There, the furniture was new and scarce; in here, he can barely move without bumping into something.  
  
There's a large living room that, despite its size, it's completely filled with light wooden furniture. Every surface is covered with bric-a-bracs, some with doilies under them. Two dark-orange couches face the large flat screen TV. Above it, a large cross adorns the wall.   
  
“Here, let me give you a tour,” she says and he follows her into the kitchen.   
  
The appliances are modern enough, but there isn't a dining room; instead, there is a big table inside the kitchen, making the room a little cramped.   
  
“It's a little small, but it makes it easier to grab things when you're cooking,” she jokes and leads them upstairs. There are pictures along the wall all the way to the top, but Harry is too concentrated on not tripping on the edge of the old carpet on the steps as he drags his case that he barely looks at them. “Niall wanted you to stay in his room, but if I know you well enough, I thought you might want more privacy and set up a room of your own.”  
  
“Thanks,” he says with a smile, and she pushes open a door. He looks around to see the room that is going to be his for the month.  
  
The walls are painted white and the window is right above his bed, in the corner of the room. The curtain is a light green that gives a joyful tone to the small, almost empty bedroom, the only pieces of forniture being the single bed, the nighstand and the desk on the opposite end. The patchwork on the duvet and the brown rug give the whole room a home-y look.   
  
“You'll have to share a wardrobe with Niall, the chest of drawers in here was eaten by termites, can you believe it? We're lucky it didn't get the bed.”  
  
“It's no problem, aunt Jenny. Thanks for letting me have my own room,” he says and means it. He wheels the case next to his bed and follows her out.  
  
“There, at the end of the hall is the suite,” she points to a closed door. “Here is Niall's,” he looks inside, the door slightly ajar. It doesn't look much different than his own, from what he can see. “And here's the bathroom you two will share. If you ever want to soak in the tub you'll have to use mine and Brian's, and don't be too shy to ask.”  
  
Harry will never do that, but he's thankful she offered. The bathroom is small, the walls and floor covered in baby blue tiles. The shower only has a curtain for privacy, and the counter is bare except for a glass with a toothbrush and toothpaste in it, floss and a closed package for a toothbursh he assumes is for him. The white towels are embroidered and Harry thinks they look like they came out of his grandma's house.   
  
“There's not much to it, I know,” she says as they walk back downstairs, “but it's home.”  
  
Harry smiles at her.  
  
“It's very nice, aunt Jenny. Thank you for having me.”  
  
She pinches his cheek.  
  
“It'll be a pleasure to have you here with us.”  
  
“Where are Niall and Brian?” He asks, sitting down at the table as she makes them tea.  
  
“They'll be here soon, they're still out there, working. Gotta enjoy dry weather when you have it,” she says, and puts down a mug in front of him. “They'll be back soon because it's getting dark. I'm so excited for you to meet them. Niall can show you the crops and animals tomorrow. He has been talking about having you here nonstop.”  
  
“He has, huh?” Harry asks, feeling like he should say something like that back, but in reality he hasn't given much thought to him. He knows he's Brian's son, that he's seventeen and that he likes music.   
  
“He's such a sweet boy, I think you'll get along well,” she says, finishing up her tea and getting up.  
  
“Hum,” Harry says, not commiting to much.  
  
“Shouldn't you call your mum, Harry? I'm sure she's worried about you.”  
  
“Yeah, right,” he says, fishing his phone out of his pocket.   
  
“Why don't you go upstairs and freshen up while I get started on dinner?” She asks him gently and he nods. “There's fresh towels under the bathroom sink.”  
  
“I'll take a quick shower and I'll get down to help,” he says, already dialing her number and going upstairs. As they talk he opens his carry-on and gets his shampoo and body wash out. From his suitcase he takes out a fresh pair of jeans and a slightly wrinkled flannel shirt. He balls them up with clean underwear and walks to the bathroom, setting it all down on the toilet lid and leaning on the sink, listening to his mother talk.  
  
“I think you're going to have a great time there, honey,” she says and Harry shakes his head.  
  
“Do you really think so? Is that why you sent me here after I didn't get into college? To have some fun?” He asks, and the resentment in his voice is clear.  
  
“I think you can learn a lesson being there,” she says, her voice stern.  
  
“On what? That hard work pays off and there's more to life than parties and booze?” He scoffs, knowing it will push her buttons just right.  
  
“Yes, exactly. And the fresh air will do you good,” she says, annoyed, and Harry can hear her sigh. “Look, Harry. Your behavior has been unacceptable and you need some time to yourself, away from your so called friends and-”  
  
“They _are_ my friends mum, whether you like them or not,” he interrupts, annoyed himself.  
  
“Friends don't do what they've done to you, and you know it. You're just too stubborn to admit, and we're not having this conversation for the millionth time,” she says, and the line is silent after that. Harry's lips are a fine line as he presses them together.  
  
“I have to go, mum. I have to help aunt Jenny fix dinner,” he finally says. He's always the first one to break down when it comes to arguments with his mother, and he hates it. It makes him feel weak.  
  
“Yeah, go ahead. Help them around as much as you can, will you?” She says, and Harry is annoyed by her strict tone.   
  
“Bye, mum. Enjoy your month away from me,” he says and hangs up, not waiting for a response.  
  
He takes a deep breath and starts undressing, throwing the clothes in the hamper on the corner of the small bathroom.   
  
His relationship with his mother has been strained, at best. He has the impression she disapproves of everything he does and all the choices he makes. And she is the one to blame for that, because she raised her children to make their own choices and be their own person. Harry is jealous of Gemma being old enough to move out.   
  
The straw that broke her back was the fact that Harry hadn't managed to get into the school he wanted. His grades had always been average, and his mother had always nagged him for his laziness, because there was no question he was smart. He just didn't bother studying, and now it came back to bite him in the ass.  
  
He can't understand how his mother doesn't see that he is the most upset for not entering university. He doesn't need her lectures, doesn't need her disapproving looks. He knows he fucked up, he doesn't need to be constantly reminded of it. And that took a toll in his relationship to his mother. To the point of sending him away, apparently.  
  
With a shake of his head he pushes his thoughts away and focuses on getting clean. Not twenty minutes later and he comes out of the bathroom fully dressed, a trail of steam following him. He goes to his room and puts on socks and a pair of trainers. He carefully arranges the shoes he's brought along the wall – all six pairs of them – and heads to the kitchen.   
  
He hears voices as he comes down the stairs, male voices.   
  
He slows down and peeks inside the kitchen, trying to get a good look before anybody sees him.  
  
There is a man sitting at the table, in his mid-forties. He has dark brown hair that is thinning at the sides and striking blue eyes. His boots have caked mud on the sides, and Harry wonders how the house is still clean.  
  
He can see who can only be Niall next to Jennifer at the kitchen counter, his back to him. Harry sees he has short, blonde-dyed hair, flat on his head. He's wearing jeans that have dirt stains on them and a shirt that doesn't look any better. When he turns around Harry sees he has the same blue eyes as his father, but a softer expression.  
  
The boy smiles and Harry catches a glimpse of crooked teeth. Harry is watching him move about the kitchen, talking with an extremely thick Irish accent. Harry thinks he's the one with the accent, really, being the foreigner and all.   
  
He's frozen in place when Niall spots him and gives him a huge smile that completely changes his face.  
  
“Seems like our guest is here,” he says and all eyes are suddenly on him.   
  
Harry blushes, caught snooping like a total creep.  
  
“Harry, come meet the boys,” Jenny says, drying her hands on a kitchen rag. “This is Brian,” she says, and the man gets up with a friendly smile.   
  
“It's very nice to meet ya, Harry,” he says, and Harry has to make a conscious effort not to flinch when he shakes his hand, his fingers squeezed inside the man's strong hands.  
  
“Nice to meet you, too, Brian. Thank you for having me in your home, I promise I'll pull my weight around here.”  
  
“Glad to hear that. I've heard so much about ya and yer family, it's nice to finally be able to meet ya,” he says and finally lets go of Harry's hand. He opens and closes it slowly, looking at Niall. “And this is my boy Niall.”  
  
“Hi, mate,” Niall says with a smile and goes for a handshake as well. Harry's hand won't be of much use for him if he keeps meeting the men in this family.   
  
“Hello,” Harry simply says, but smiles gently. The boy nods and steps back.   
  
“Dinner is almost ready, you can sit down if you'd like,” Jennifer says, and Harry sits down and listens to the two men chat about the day. They use words he doesn't understand and Brian mumbles a bit, so Harry doesn't catch all that he says.  
  
He looks at Jennifer and she smiles back at him. He wonders if she knows why he's really there. Because part of him knows he deserves it. Part of him knows his mother is doing the right thing. But part of him also resents her for it.  
  
Dinner is ready soon enough, and Harry is about to scoop a spoonfull of mashed potatoes when a hand reaches for his. He looks to the side to find his aunt Jenny looking up at him with an extended hand. A quick glance around the table shows that everybody is holding hands except him. He quickly grabs her hand and Niall's as well. The grip is soft this time.  
  
“Would you like to say prayers tonight, Niall?” Brian asks and he nods. They all lower their heads and Harry copies them.   
  
“We want to thank you, Heavenly Father, for providing us with food and shelter, and for bringing home a friend,” Harry feels Niall squeeze his hand, “and for giving us health to work and bring food to the table. Amen.”  
  
“Amen,” Harry repeats with them.   
  
Harry is surprised to see the food actually tastes good. In all these years, he'd never seen his aunt Jenny cook. He thought she didn't know how, but apparently she does, now.   
  
Harry doesn't talk much, just answer the questions that are directed to him. Brian asks him different questions than Jenny did, questions about his school work and hobbies, and he can sense Niall watching him the whole time. He doesn't say much, either, too busy eating like no one's Harry ever seen eat before. He assumes is the straining manual labor he probably has to do.   
  
“I'm gonna go wash up before bed,” Brian says, stretching and putting his plate on the sink. Niall gets up, too.  
  
“Do you need to use the loo, Harry?” He asks, and Harry shakes his head. “Great, I'm off, too,” he says and is gone with a grin.  
  
“I'll help you with the dishes,” Harry says and moves towards the sink.   
  
“No need to, love. It's just a couple of plates, don't worry. You go upstairs and rest.”  
  
“Are you sure?”   
  
“You're tired from the flight. You can help me with the dishes tomorrow,” she insists and Harry goes upstairs.  
  
He can hear the faint noise of the shower running when he walks past it. He goes into his bedroom and starts to organize his things in his desk. He puts his phone, tablet, Ipod and Kindle on it, along with all the chargers. He sits on the bed and looks outside. It's completely dark, and the landscape is barely visible because there's no moon tonight. Harry can see just a sliver of it, but when he pays attention, he realises he sees a lot more stars than he's used to seeing in the London sky.  
  
He twists his body and moves it half way out the window, facing up. He's so lost in thought that he doesn't hear when Niall knocks on the open door.   
  
“Beautiful sky, innit?” He asks, and Harry is startled. He swings back forward and faces Niall. His wet hair in flat on his forehead and he can smell him from where he's standing on the other side of the room, clean and warm.  
  
“Yeah, I don't usually see that many stars back home.”  
  
“You should go to the more rural areas of the country, you can see more than you can count.”  
  
Harry raises an eyebrow. Niall chuckles.  
  
“Yeah, there are more rural areas than this,” he says and walks in. “I'm happy that you're here, it's going to be good to have a friend over this summer.”  
  
“I'm only staying for a month, though,” Harry says, not sure what to think when Niall used the word friend to talk about him.   
  
“It's good enough,” Niall says and Harry wonders if he ever stops smiling. “I'll let you rest now, Jenny told me you'd be tired from the trip and all,” he says and steps back. “Good night, Harry. I'll see you tomorrow.”  
  
“Wait, before you go, what's the wi-fi password?” Harry says, reaching for his phone.  
  
“Oh, we don't have internet here at home,” Niall says, and Harry's jaw drop.  
  
“What do you mean you don't have internet?” He says, feeling a drop of panic make its way up his spine.  
  
“Yeah, you can go to the library if you need it to do something,” Niall seems oblivious to the fact that Harry's whole world collapsed.  
  
“O-Ok. Thanks, anyway,” he manages a fake smile and Niall nods.  
  
“See you tomorrow, mate,” he says and he's gone, closing the door behind him.  
  
“Shit,” Harry mumbles under his breath. What on earth is he going to do for a whole month? How is he going to talk to his friends back home? His data plan won't last long, and he groans with frustration.   
  
He sends a quick message to his friends' group chat explaining why he won't be active much and types a message to his sister.  
  
 _they don't have internet gemma. what am i going to do??  
  
_ Her reply comes within seconds. _  
  
_ **You'll survive. Told you not to be a dickhead to mum. How's aunt Jenny? How are Brian and Niall?**  
 _  
theyre fine, we didnt talk much._  
  
 **I'll call you tomorrow, try not to be bored out of your mind until then. Love you  
**  
Harry sighs and throws himself on the bed. He glances at his phone and sees it's almost nine o'clock. He hears a knock on the door.  
  
“Come in.”  
  
Jenny opens the door and he greets her with a smile.  
  
“Came to wish you goodnight before bed,” she explains and he sits up on the bed, making room for her to sit next to him. “Do you have enough blankets and pillows? For your back?”  
  
“It's all fine, thanks,” he smiles and she looks at him fondly. Her expression slowly changes and a crease appears on her forehead.   
  
“You know, your mum told me about what happened,” she starts and he looks down, avoiding her gaze.  
  
“It was no big deal, mum blew that way out of proportion,” he defends himself.  
  
“You were detained, Harry. For trespassing. It is a big deal.”  
  
“We were pulling a prank, okay? Did she tell you that?” He says, and tries his best to keep his voice low.   
  
“She did, and she also told me that your friends left you behind to be caught alone.”  
  
He bites his lip.  
  
“I was stupid and slow, they didn't mean to do it.”  
  
Harry feels her hand on his shoulders. He leans in and she circles him with her arms.   
  
“I shouldn't have brought it up now, not when you've barely stepped foot in my house. I just wanted you to know that I know. That your mother talked to me about how things are...difficult between you and her.”  
  
“At least we talked about the elephant in the room,” he says and he can feel her smile against the top of his head.   
  
“We did, and we can talk about anything else you'd like to tell me.”  
  
“You sound just like my mum,” he says and she laughs.  
  
“Well, we are best friends for a reason. Great minds think alike.”  
  
Harry pulls away with a smile.   
  
“I'll let you rest, honey. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and I'm sure Niall will talk your ear off.”  
  
“He seems nice. Friendly.” Harry admits.  
  
“He is. He has the kindest heart, just like his father. Just like you,” she says and cups his face between her hands. Harry smiles softly.  
  
“Call me if you need anything, I'm right down the hall,” she says and gets up. “Sleep well, Harry.”  
  
“You too, aunt Jenny.”  
  
She leaves, closing the door behind herself and he gets changed, putting on the only pair of pajamas he owns. He won't be sleeping naked like at home, at least not so soon. He slips under the blankets, positioning himself comfortably on the small, single bed. The sheets smell of laundry detergent and the strange pillow is soft and cool.   
  
The room is dark and everything is eerily silent. Harry can't hear anything besides his own heart and breathing. There's no car honk or alarm blaring outside his window, no traffic, no passerby speaking loudly. He doesn't know how people sleep like this, in complete silent. He thinks it's going to take forever for him to fall asleep, but his aunt was right and he is tired.   
  
For the first time in at least five years, Harry falls asleep before ten o'clock.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Harry is woken up by the sound of a door closing loudly in the hallway. He moves, startled, just in time to hear Niall clearly cursing under his breath. He picks up his phone and glances at the screen. It's 5:15am. He pays attention and can clearly hear footsteps coming and going, hushed voices speaking. He swallows, his mouth dry.   
  
He suddenly worries something might be wrong. He gets up and slowly opens the door, peeking outside. Seeing nobody, Harry decides to go downstairs. He reaches the kitchen and sees everybody sitting at the table, Niall still in his pajamas, but Jennifer and Brian are already changed.  
  
“Rocking the bed hair, mate,” Niall says, holding his mug with both hands and hiding a smile.  
  
“Is everything alright?” Harry asks, running his fingers through his messy hair, voice hoarse from sleep.  
  
“Yeh, why do ya ask?” Brian asks, brows furrowed in confusion.   
  
“I heard you speaking lowly and it's so early,” he explains, and they exchange a knowing look.  
  
“We didn't want to wake you this early, it's only your first day here and we thought you wanted to sleep in a bit,” his aunt explains and he realises this is how early they usually wake up. Harry feels the familiar panic from the night before starting to settle in again. “You can go back to bed, I'll wake you in a couple of hours.”  
  
“No, I'm up already,” he says and accepts the mug of tea that is offered to him. He yawns and rubs his sleepy eyes. He sits down at the table and helps himself to some bread, buttering up a slice.   
  
“Since you're up, I can show you the farm,” Niall says and he seems more excited at the prospect that Harry is.   
  
“Sure,” he mumbles.   
  
Once again, he watches as the boy eats like it's his last meal, chugging it all down with copious amount of tea.   
  
“I'll work on the tractor today, so ya have some time to show this place 'round,” Brian says to Niall and the boy nods, taking a last bite of bread.   
  
“I'll just go get changed,” he says and Harry follows him up the stairs, “What did Jenny show you yesterday? Did she show you the animals?”  
  
“No, just around the house,” Harry explains, and they stop at his bedroom door. “She told me to use your wardrobe to put my clothes in, because the chest of drawers here was-”  
  
“Eaten away by termites, yeah,” Niall finishes for him and waits for Harry to wheel out his suitcase out of his bedroom. “Real shame, all the furniture here has been in my family for ages.”  
  
Harry stops at the door to Niall's bedroom. It's built exactly the same as the one Harry's occupying, but it looks so much different nonetheless. His bed is made, and the bright green duvet is a stark contrast between the dark furniture. There's a desk, which is full of books and notebooks. They are all piled up neatly with a pencil case on top of them. Harry can see he has the whole Sherlock Holmes collection. It's also one of his favorites. There's a picture frame on it, of who Harry is assuming is Brian and Niall's mum, both looking very young.  
  
On the wall above it there are countless pictures of Niall and his friends. In some he's in his school uniform, clearly taken on school hallways and classes. Two boys, both dark-haired, appear in more pictures than anybody else. They are also in pretty much all the pictures taken outside the school, many of them in a familiar living-room and many outdoors. The center picture is of Niall and the other two boys, all wearing football uniforms. Their cheeks are flushed and their hair is stuck to their sweaty faces, but they are grinning like mad at the camera.   
  
There's an old, battered guitar leaning against the bed, and above it there is a cross on the wall and a rosary hanging from it.   
  
“Here, this side is all yours,” Niall says behind him, opening the door to his wardrobe, and Harry starts to arrange his clothes inside, putting some in drawers and some on hangers.   
  
“Have you lived here all your life?” Harry asks, and Niall nods.  
  
“Haven't been further than Dublin,” he says, and Harry can swear he hears pride in his voice. “Me dad and I love it here, and Jenny too.”  
  
“What about your mom?” Harry asks, picking out a pair of jeans and a light purple jumper to wear. The air is still cold in the early morning.   
  
“Died when I was born,” he answers flatly and Harry wants to kick himself for asking. He remembers, a little too late, his mother talking about Brian and how his first wife had died a long time ago.   
  
He turns to face Niall and the boy still hasn't stopped smiling.   
  
“Sorry about that,” he says awkwardly.  
  
“Thanks, but it's not like I remember and miss her. It's always been me dad and I, always fun. Jenny was a great addition to the family,” he says and Harry knows he means it.   
  
“She's great, she's my mum's best friend,” he says, and pulls the top of his pajamas over his head.   
  
“Yeah, she told me all about your mum. About you and your sister Gemma, too,” he says and Harry snorts. Niall is looking down, avoiding his gaze. He hooks his thumbs on the waist of his pajama bottoms, but stops before pulling them down. Niall looks so embarrassed it's painful to watch. He's clearly bothered by it, but keeps sneaking glances up at Harry.  
  
“You've got a lot of tattoos,” he says, and Harry smiles before quickly putting on a T-shirt.   
  
“Yeah, do you like tattoos?”  
  
“It looks nice on some people,” he says and he's back at looking at Harry. He takes a mental note of not changing in front of Niall again. “But not for me.”  
  
“Why not?”Harry asks, balling up the rest of his clothes in his hands.  
  
“I'm not cool enough for them, and me dad would kill me.”   
  
“Then just get one on a place he can't see,” Harry suggests and Niall looks at him like he's crazy.   
  
“That would still be disobeying,” he says, and his face shows how obvious that answer is for him.  
  
“Oh,” Harry simply says. He blinks and slowly nods. “I'm gonna finish getting ready,” he says and walks over to his bedroom. In five minutes he's changed and has brushed his teeth. His hair is a mess, so he ties a scarf around it and goes downstairs.   
  
“I don't think these shoes are good for ya, son,” Brian tells him, and he looks down at his trainers. “It drizzled a bit and there's mud e'rywhere.”  
  
“You can lend him some boots, can't you Brian?” Jenny says and the man nods. Together, they find a pair that fits Harry. When Niall gets down, he's wearing much baggier jeans and a blue anorak.   
  
“Come on, mate. Let me show you around,” he says and leads Harry through the kitchen and the back door. “ You're wearing me dad's boots. I was going to lend you mine but I don't think they'd fit you.”  
  
“Well, you know what they say about men with big feet,” Harry jokes and Niall looks at him with a confused expression.  
  
“No, what?” He asks, and it takes Harry a second to realise he really doesn't get the joke.   
  
“Nevermind,” he says, shaking his head. “Come, show me around.”  
  
Niall opens the door and Harry's jaw drops. He didn't expect to be miles upon miles of wheat stretch out in the field behind the house. The sun is still only starting to rise, but the landscape glows with yellow. It looks like a golden carpet spread out in front of him.   
  
“Almost ready for harvest,” Niall says proudly next to him.   
  
“Holy fuck,” Harry mumbles. It truly is an amazing view. “Is this all yours?”   
  
“Yep, me dad and I take care of it,” Niall says. “Let me show you the animals, where the hard work actually is.”  
  
Harry follows him to a cluster of buildings far off the right to the house. His eyes keep going back to the plantation, and he wants to run his hands on the delicate strands of the stalks. He almost bumps into Niall when he stops next to what can only be a small barn, if he can trust his nose.  
  
“Here's where we keep the girls,” Niall says and opens the red gate.   
  
He spots three large cows, all standing next to one another. There's a big pile of hay in one corner of the room, and they are munching happily, not even the least bothered by their appearance.  
  
“Good morning, Ginny. Good morning, Hermione. Good morning, Minerva,” Niall says, petting them affectionately on their backs. “It's a beautiful day and I bet you're hungry, so we'll get this over quick,” he says, and gets a tin bucket and a stool. “Are you afraid of cows?” He asks Harry,  
  
Harry shakes his head. “I don't think so. I've never been this close to one before.” He gingerly reaches out a hand to touch the back of Ginny, but retracts it in a swift move when she turns her head to his side. “Do they bite?”   
  
“No, but they kick sometimes. I wouldn't stay behind them if I were you,” Niall says. He's watching Harry amusedly.   
  
Harry tries again, and this time he gently strokes her fur. Feeling brave, he moves his hand to her head and touches her nose. He chuckles. “It's cold.”  
  
“Pet her behind her ears and her chin. They're just big dogs, really,” Niall instructs him and Harry finds himself with both hands on her head, and she seems to be enjoying the attention. “Hello, Ginny,” he says and stops, looking at Niall. “Wait, did you name them after Harry Potter characters?”   
  
Niall grins. “Yeah, me dad let me name them and this is what ten-year-old me thought about. Wanna try milking them?”  
  
Harry tenses. “I'm not sure it's a good idea. I don't know how.”   
  
“It's easy, watch me,” Niall says and sits down on the stool, placing the bucket under the cow's udder. Using both hands, he milks her with precise movements. Harry watches as the milk hits the bucket with a spray. “Here, you try it,” Niall gets up and motions for Harry to sit down.   
  
“My hands are cold,” he says and rubs his hands together, blowing hot air on them.  
  
“We have a gentleman here, Ginny,” Niall says and raises his brows. Harry complies and sits down. “All you have to do is squeeze it. Start from the top, near the udder, and work your way down.”  
  
Harry takes a deep breath and does his best, but nothing comes out.  
  
“You have to squeeze harder.”  
  
“But won't I hurt her?” Harry asks, concerned. Niall smiles at him.  
  
“No, she'll be fine,” he encourages.   
  
Harry squeezes a little harder and his eyes go wide when a spray of milk comes out.  
  
“You did it! There you go,” Niall cheers him on and Harry smiles, proud of himself. “I'll do the other ones while you finish her up,” he says and grabs a bucket to himself, not bothering with a stool and sitting on the floor, cross legged.  
  
“Do you do this everyday?” Harry asks, focused on keeping a steady pace with his hand.  
  
“Twice a day. Before dinner I have to do it again.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because it hurts them if they get too full of milk,” he explains, and Harry nods.  
  
“What do you do with all the milk?”  
  
“We drink it, of course. The milk from your tea came from them.”  
  
Harry stops what he's doing and looks over at Niall.  
  
“Shouldn't it be pasteurized or something?” He asks, concerned.  
  
“You'll be fine. We boil it first, but it's pretty healthy,” he explains.   
  
Harry turns his focus to the task at hand and they fall silent. Niall finishes both cows before Harry get halfway through one, and has to help him with it.  
  
“How long have you been doing this?” Harry asks as he dumps the contents of his bucket into Niall's.  
  
“Since I can remember. Me dad taught me everything when I was young, I don't even remember learning it,” he says, and releases the cows, that go straight to the ryegrass to have their breakfast. He takes the full bucket and they walk back to the house, where he leaves it at the kitchen's doorstep and shouts to Jenny that the milk is there.  
  
“Time to feed the chickens,” he says happily, and they walk back to the buildings. Behind the barn there is a hen house, and Harry can't help but laugh when he sees it was built like an actual house.  
  
“Me dad and I built it a few years back, what do you think?” Niall says and he is laughing too.  
  
“Did you really do this?” Harry says, but stays in place as Niall walks in the dark space.   
  
“Yeah, it took us a few weeks, though. It was our summer project,” he explains. “Come in, help me with the feed.”  
  
Harry watches as he catches a metal tin and hands one to Harry.  
  
“I think I'll skip this one,” he says, and Niall giggles.  
  
“Are you afraid of chickens?”   
  
“Their beaks look pretty sharp, they could poke an eye out.”  
  
“They're friendly,” he says and Harry follows him inside. It's still a little dark. Niall sprinkles the feed on the floor and the hens start to move from their spots. “Just stay away from the ones with the black dot on their beaks, see?” He points to a chicken next to his head and Harry sees the dark spot on it. “They are the Irish chickens, more aggressive than the rest.”  
  
“There's not such a thing as irish chicken,” Harry snorts, but Niall stares at him intensely.   
  
“Trust me, mate, I wouldn't mess with them.”  
  
Harry swallows dry.  
  
“I'll wait outside,” he says and is out in a flash. A few seconds later and Niall emerges too, with a trail of chickens following him as he throws food on the ground. They all gather around it to eat and he grabs a basket.  
  
“Help me with the eggs, at least,” he says and Harry goes back inside. It smells like shit and he still feels a little scared. But this he can do. He catches the eggs from their nests and places them carefully on the basket Niall is holding, and manages to do so without breaking any.   
  
“Watch out for this one,” Niall says and opens a small crater that is kept separate from the rest. A huge rooster comes out, and Niall leads it outside to feed him away from the chickens. “That's Harry, he has quite the temper,” he explains and Harry chuckles.  
  
“The cock's name is Harry?” He asks, amused, but Niall fails to see the innuendo in it. Harry clears his throat. “Harry as in Harry Potter?”  
  
“Exactly,” Niall grins. Harry shakes his head. “We just call him Harry, though. Me dad doesn't know he's named after Harry Potter.”  
  
“How come?”  
  
“If he finds these names come from the Harry Potter books he'll be mad. He doesn't want me reading them.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Because they have witchcraft in them.”  
  
Harry laughs, but it dies in his throat when he sees Niall's expression.  
  
“Oh, you're serious. I didn't know he was so strict,” he adds, feeling like an idiot.   
  
“He is, a little. But he has a different idea of what the books are about. Still, he can't know I read them.”  
  
“I won't say anything,” Harry promises and Niall smiles.   
  
“Get some water to fill their feeders, will ya?” Niall asks and shows Harry where the well is.  
  
A well. They have a well. He brings a bucket and fills it with water, glad that it has a pump and that he doesn't actually have to dump a bucket inside it. When he comes back, his arm straining from the weight, he finds Niall has cleaned their feeders and helps him dump the water in two separate containers outside. Apparently chickens drink a lot of water.   
  
Harry is surprised to see it's past seven when they're done.   
  
“Why do you have to do these things so early?” Harry asks, yawning as Niall grabs them a snack. Neither Jenny nor Brian are anywhere to be seen.   
  
“The animals are hungry, and they have a routine we can't break. Besides, I have to finish my chores before school. Now in the summer I always help me dad, there's always something to do.”  
  
“I see,” Harry says and watches as Niall grabs a few egg cartons from under the sink and starts placing the eggs in them. Harry helps by wrapping them in newspaper carefully.   
  
“We have a delivery to do, come on,” Niall urges him to take the eggs and grabs the bottles of milk that were recently boiled by Jenny, putting them in a crate before closing the door after him. They load it all in the trunk of the pickup and Niall steps inside, behind the wheel.  
  
“What are you doing? Isn't aunt Jenny taking us?”  
  
“She's busy with her own chores, mate. Come on, hop in.”  
  
“Do you even have a license? Aren't you seventeen?”  
  
Niall laughs. “I am, but I drive everywhere. You don't need a license around here. Come, we'll be late.”  
  
Harry nods and gets in, putting on his seatbelt.   
  
“Where are we going? What is the police stops us? I don't have a license myself, I can't drive.”  
  
Niall looks at him and starts the pickup.   
  
“You're not the rebel I made you out to be,” Niall says as they enter the dirt road that leads away from the farm.  
  
“Who told you I'm a rebel?”  
  
“Jenny. Says you were in trouble back in London and your mum sent you here to keep you away from your friends.”  
  
Niall doesn't seem to notice the hurt look on Harry's face. He's angry too, at his mum for saying things like that, and at aunt Jenny from sharing it with Niall.   
  
“You really don't know how to drive?” Niall asks, entering the paved road that will lead them to downtown.  
  
“No, we don't have a car. Don't need one in London,” he explains, looking out the window to see the streets he'll grow familiar with.   
  
“I suppose. We need cars around here, wouldn't get anywhere without them.”  
  
“Where are we going, anyway?” Harry asks, and feels a prickle of panic when he sees a police officer staring at them driving slowly. Niall waves at him and he waves back, breaking into a smile.   
  
“To the school, we have to deliver those eggs and milk. We couldn't possibly eat all of it.”  
  
“I wouldn't doubt it, I've seen you eat,” Harry teases and Niall laughs, tapping the wheel. It's the first time he's heard him laugh like that and it's endearing.  
  
“Don't drink any milk, though,” he retorts, and they stop in front of a building that's clearly a pre-school. When they step out, Harry can hear children screaming and laughing inside. “Help me with those,” Niall asks, and they both take the milk and eggs, and Niall guides them to a side door, using his foot to knock on the door because his hands are busy.  
  
A teenage girl answers the door, wearing a white apron and a net tied around her high bun. Her face radiates happiness when she looks at Niall.  
  
“Hi, Rosie,” he says, smiling himself, and she takes the bottles from his hand.  
  
“Niall, come in,” she moves for them to enter. They're inside the school's kitchen and there are three other women working, all wearing a similar ensemble. They wave at them, and Harry waves back. There is steam coming from at least four different pans and the table is filled with cut meat.   
  
“You're right on time, the kids will have cake today and it's right out of the oven. Hi, you must be Harry,” she turns to him and helps him put the eggs on the table.  
  
“Yeah,” he says and shakes her hand.  
  
“Niall told me you were coming,” she explains, “It's nice to meet you.”  
  
“Nice to meet you, too,” he says, and her attention is away from him now that niceties are finished.   
“Let me get you a piece of cake, Niall,” she says and is back in a flash, holding two slices on paper napkins, one for him and one for Niall.   
  
But it's like Harry is not even there, they barely acknowledge him. He stands around, awkwardly, waiting for them to finish talking. He nibbles on the cake, which tastes good but could use some moisture, until they are finally done talking.   
  
“I have to get back to work, but thanks for the groceries, as always,” she says and Harry can see she's truly sorry to break the conversation. He smiles and shakes his head.  
  
“You're welcome,” Niall says. “I'll be back on Monday. We'll be back,” he says and points to Harry. She gives him a smile and Harry swears it doesn't reach her eyes. Ouch.  
  
“It was nice to meet you, Rosie,” he says, politely nodding his head towards her and stepping out. Niall follows him in no time.  
  
“So, on Monday you'll be going alone,” he says, getting into the truck.  
  
“Why?” Niall asks, and his face shows concern.   
  
“I won't third-wheel like that ever again,” Harry says with a smirk.  
  
“You weren't third-wheeling,” Niall says, and Harry is hoping to see him blush, it's the whole reason he made the comment after all, but he gets nothing.   
  
“Oh no?” He insists, “So you're telling me you don't have a crush on her?”  
  
“I don't,” Niall says and looks at him briefly before looking at the road again.  
  
“Well, you should tell her that, because she has a crush on you and you don't wanna lead her on.”  
  
“Rosie doesn't have a crush on me,” Niall laughs, “she's just friendly. She's like this with everybody.”  
  
Harry is not convinced, but he's not getting the reaction he wants from Niall so he drops the subject. They are silent the rest of the way back, and when Niall parks the truck in front of the house and they head to the back, Harry's jaw drops when he sees his aunt Jenny driving a small yellow tractor around the back of the house.  
  
“I don't know, Bri. I think it needs new spark plugs, it keeps choking on the gears,” she says to Brian, walking alongside the tractor.   
  
“Leave it on neutral,” he says, and she does so. It immediately stalls. “Yep, new spark plugs.”  
  
Jenny hops off the tractor and only then she sees Harry.  
  
“Hi, Harry. Did you drive around town with Niall?” She asks, walking towards him.  
  
“Since when do you drive tractors, aunt Jenny?” He asks with a laugh.  
  
“Ever since Brian got pneumonia last year and it was down to only me and Niall to harvest.”  
  
“I can take you for a ride, mate. It's actually very cool to drive around in it,” he says with a grin and Harry nods. This is definitely something he wants to try.   
  
“I'll get lunch started,” she says and Harry looks at his watch. It's barely nine. “We like to have lunch early so we can have dinner early and go to bed early,” she tells him.   
  
“And let' notforget to get up early,” Harry mumbles to himself  
  
“You can show Harry around, Niall,” Brian says, “I have to go downtown to pick up some things for the tractor anyway. We'll get to work after lunch.”  
  
“Thanks, dad,” Niall says and turns to Harry. “Fancy a walk?”  
  
Harry looks around him, at the beautiful plantation laid down in front of him.  
  
“Yeah, for sure.”  
  
They walk in silence until they reach the edge of where the wheat starts.  
  
“Is it close to harvest?” Harry asks, and Niall picks a string of wheat and plucks out two small nubs. He gives one to Harry and puts one in his mouth.  
  
“You tell me,” he says and Harry eyes him suspiciously before putting the nub in his mouth. “Bite it, tell me if it cracks.”  
  
Harry does as he's told and bites gingerly, avoiding permanent damage to his teeth. It's soft to chew.  
  
“Not really,” he says.  
  
“Then it's not time yet,” Niall says and starts walking again, spitting. Harry copies him.  
  
“Wow, very scientific. Such a precise method,” he says and Niall chuckles.  
  
“Well you can measure the soil's PH and grind the nubs to a powder to test them, but it's not really necessary.”  
  
Harry stuffs his hands in his pocket, kicking dirt around his feet as he stares at the beautiful scenery in front of him. It's very peaceful and he can understand why so many people enjoy this life. But it's definitely not for him.  
  
“So, what do you do for fun around here?” He finally asks Niall.  
  
“Well, I hang out with me mates and we go to town,” he says and points in the direction of a house, a tiny speck on the horizon. “That's the Payne's house, Liam and I are best mates in school. We are in the same class. And over there,” he points in the opposite direction, but the hill makes it impossible for Harry to see anything other than wheat, “is the Tomlinsons' house. His family and mine have been friends for ages and the oldest boy, Louis, is me other best mate. We all studied in the same school but he's older and in college now. He comes back to visit often, though.”  
  
“Sounds nice.”  
  
“Yeah, we play a lot of Fifa and camp when it's hot out. We play footie a lot, and I like to fish.”  
  
“You're never bored, huh?” Harry asks.   
  
“Nope. When it's just me I like to play the guitar,” Niall says proudly. They're walking around the plantation, Harry can tell. It's going to be a long walk, but he doesn't mind it. He takes off his sweater and enjoys the sun on his skin.   
  
“I saw it in your room. What do you play?” Harry asks, genuinely curious. Music is his favorite hobby after all.   
  
“A little bit of everything. Mostly Elvis, though. I love Elvis.”  
  
Harry grins widely at him.  
  
“Me too, he's the best,” he says and Niall beams.  
  
“You really like him?”  
  
“He's the king of rock, how could anyone not like him?”  
  
“Me mates tease me, saying it's old people music,” Niall says tentatively.  
  
“Bullshit, he's timeless,” Harry says and starts humming Jailhouse Rock, imitating Elvis' legs moves in the videoclip. This gets a belly laugh out of Niall and Harry laughs too, louder when Niall starts a very accurate air guitar.   
  
Harry takes a deep breath, still giggling, and leans on Niall's shoulder, who looks up at him and they start laughing again. Harry thinks they'll actually become friends, after all.  
  
The field seems endless, and when they are halfway around it the house is just a dot in the horizon. Harry stands and stares for almost a full minute and Niall lets him. He should be sad to be there, he should be angry, he should be sulking, but he's not. He doesn't know if it's because he's seeing his aunt again, because the place is incredible or because the boy next to him is fun, but he makes a mental note of being less of a brat to his mother when they speak again. He's glad to be there.

 


	3. Chapter 3

All his life Harry had problems waking up early. His biggest pleasure on a Sunday is to sleep until noon, have lunch, take a nap, have dinner and then go to bed. When the alarm on his phone goes off at five o'clock in the morning, he wants to cry.  
  
He groans, moves to his side and flinches as the bright light of the screen hits his sleepy eyes. He shuts it off and checks his messages. None, of course. His data plan must have ended. With a heavy sigh, he sits in bed and swings his legs over to the side. He stays there for almost five full minutes, thinking back to all his life choices that led him to this very moment in time, where waking up at five in the freaking morning is the norm.   
  
He doesn't have to do it, that's the thing. Neither Jenny nor Brian have asked him to help with the chores, but he feels like shit just standing around with nothing better to do when they're clearly busy, so for the past couple of days he's been waking up just as early as everybody else to start the day with them.   
  
He gets up and goes to the bathroom, scrubbing the sleep from his eyes. He's met with an equally sleepy Niall. He's surprised because Niall is usually finished getting ready before he even gathers the courage to get out of bed.  
  
“Morning,” he mumbles and stifles a yawn.   
  
“Morning,” Niall says, mouth full of foam and a toothbrush hanging from it.   
  
Harry goes to the toilet and is about to lower his pants to pee when he hears the clang of the glass on the sink. He stops what he's doing and goes to the sink to brush his teeth, instead.   
  
Niall is always bothered when Harry isn't properly dressed when he's around and he can only imagine how uncomfortable he would be if Harry takes his dick out just like that. It occurs to him that he's only in his underwear, but there's nothing he can do about it now. It's Niall's fault for not being done early, really.   
  
He can sense Niall is very shy, hasn't even seen him without a shirt on even when they're working under the sun on some farm chore he never even knew existed. Who knew cows needed a good scrubbing after rain so they don't get too covered in mud and become sick? He didn't mind it, though. He liked working with the cows much better than he liked working with the chickens. They creeped him out, with their weird walking and creepy stares. He is particularly wary of the Irish chickens, looking out for spotted beaks.  
  
In just three short days he's managed to learn how to milk them properly, doing Ginny – which he has taken a liking to – as Niall finishes the other two. He likes to go for walks around the plantation, likes to learn about the farm's equipment and likes to help Brian fix things. He hates cleaning the barn and the hen house, though. Niall is kind enough to do most of it for them.  
  
“Where are we going to donate the eggs and milk today?” He asks Niall through the foam in his own mouth.   
  
“Nursing home again,” Niall says and starts washing his face. Harry nudges his face wash towards him, and he rolls his eyes before using it. Harry has been using it religiously and so far his pimples, or as he likes to call them, face demons, have almost completely vanished.   
  
“It really works,” Harry insists and spits, starting to wash his own face as well. His shoulder rubs with Niall's, and he gently nudges him to the side with his hip. Caught off guard, Niall stumbles sideways and almost falls.   
  
Harry laughs, his eyes stinging from the soap in them. Niall has his revenge, shoving him and almost sending him over the toilet.  
  
“You bastard,” Niall says in the middle of his childish laughter as Harry sprays him with water. It's silly and they're probably a little too old for that, but that doesn't stop the full on fits of laughter they have as they try to get each other as wet as possible. Niall is half way dunking Harry's head under the sink when they hear a loud clearing of throat.  
  
Their heads snap to the door, where Brian is standing with his arms crossed over his chest. He's trying to look stern, but is failing miserably. His lips are turned up as he eyes them both.   
  
“So that's why yer late for breakfast,” he says, and Niall finally lets go of Harry's head, who stands upright and tries not to laugh.  
  
“Sorry, Brian. Niall didn't want to wash his face and brush his teeth, so I had to take matters into my own hands.”  
  
“I see, of course,” he says and finally gives in, breaking into a smile. “Be careful not to slip and dry the floor when you're done,” he says and walks off.  
  
Harry looks at Niall, which only prompts another fit of giggles as they finish getting ready and mop the floor a bit. Harry waits for Niall to leave the bathroom before using it, and quickly gets changed. He has worn the same pair of jeans for three days straight, and he's surprised with himself when he realises he doesn't care. He changes into a clean T-shirt and goes down. He has come to like the chilly air of the early morning as he does his chores.   
  
He finds all three sitting down at the table when he goes downstairs. As usual, Niall eats for three while he munches down on some toast with jam and sips his tea. His aunt Jenny is dressed differently today, he notices.  
  
“What do you want for lunch today? I was thinking of making a simple lunch and then something special for dinner,” his aunt Jenny asks.  
  
“I can eat whatever,” Niall says, mouthful of apple.  
  
“Of course you can,” Harry teases and Niall spits a seed at him.   
  
“Eww,” Harry says, rubbing where it hit his cheek. “Are you ten?”  
  
Brian takes a deep breath and Niall mumbles a “sorry” that Harry is sure he doesn't mean. He sticks his tongue out at him and that goes unnoticed.  
  
Harry was scared of Brian when he first arrived, if he's honest with himself. He looked like the kind of man you didn't want to cross, built as a wardrobe and quiet. He knows now that he was being silly. Brian is actually very caring and loving, and a proper chatterbox once you get him going. He understands why his aunt changed her life upside down for him.  
  
It's obvious that Niall adores him. He's the first to admit that he's strict with discipline and doesn't stand a smart mouth or disobedience, but he's always reaching out for a hug and a kiss from his father, and Harry thinks it's adorable. It also makes him feel homesick.   
  
As much as it pains him to admit, he misses his mum and sister. He doesn't miss his mum's constant nagging nor his sister's dragging him any chance he gets, but he misses _them_. Maybe he'll be the one to call his mother that night, not the other way around.   
  
“I need to use the pickup to go to town today, so I can give you a ride if you don't mind waiting around for me to finish my errands,” Jenny says.  
  
“That would be awesome, aunt Jenny,” Harry says, eager to see the town. When he and Niall go to town to deliver the extra eggs and milk, they never stick around much, always coming back soon because of their chores. Harry only knows the streets that lead to the three different schools and nursing homes they go to, and he's more than ready to see new people.   
  
“Get started on the feeding, them,” she tells them and off they go.   
  
Harry makes a point of petting and talking to all three cows, and he swears they understand him to some extent.  
  
“Hey, Hermione, why did the cow cross the road?” He says to her, and waits a few moments for her reply. “To get to the udder side. Get it? Udder side?” He says and the cow licks at his finger.   
  
Niall bursts laughing from his spot under her, hitting Harry's foot with his clenched fist.  
  
“Good one, mate,” he says, back to work. He always laughs at Harry's terrible jokes, and he could kiss him for it. “Get started on the chickens, we don't want to make Jenny late.”  
  
Harry nibbles at his bottom lip. “I don't know, man.”  
  
“Just stay away from the Irish ones and you'll be fine,” Niall insists and shoos him out.  
  
Harry is more than happy to find his aunt already feeding them, with the cock Harry – that always gets to him – trailing behind her.   
  
“Were you scared of them when you first arrived?” He asks, grabbing the basket and making his way to the coop.   
  
“Just of the rooster, but he's grown fond of me, haven't you Harry?” She says, throwing some food in his direction. “All things named Harry seem to love me, you see,” she jokes and he winks at her, making her laugh.  
  
“The normal ones are fine, I'm just afraid of the Irish ones,” he continues, nodding his head in the direction of one that is a little too close to him for comfort. The small chicken can barely walk on the muddy ground, because it rains everyday in Ireland, apparently.   
  
“The Irish what?” She asks him, confused.  
  
“The chickens, the Irish chickens,” Harry points to one with a particularly large dot on her beak, stepping close to Niall, who has just joined them. Both Niall and his aunt exchange a glance and it only takes a fraction of a second for Niall to bend over with laughter, holding his stomach.  
  
“What?” Harry asks, and it dawns on him.  
  
“Mate, I can't believe you fell for it for so long,” he manages to say, and it's Jenny's turn to ask him what's happening. “I told Harry the chickens with the black dots on their beaks were s-special chickens,” he says and has to stop again as another wave of laughter makes it difficult for him to breathe, “Irish chickens, and-” he can't speak anymore.   
  
Jenny looks at him and shakes her head disapprovingly, but Harry can tell she's holding back laughter.   
  
Under normal circumstances Harry would be pissed, would feel humiliated. But it's a good joke and Niall seems so pleased with himself for it that he himself has a hard time to pretend he's mad. He still surges to Niall with speed, and the boy starts to run from him.   
  
He's laughing all the way Harry chases him, and his laugh is contagious and warm. He looks younger when he laughs, Harry knows it, but right now he can't see it because Niall is a good runner and he's getting a bit winded himself.  
  
Harry can tell Niall is slowing down just for him to catch up with him, and takes his chance. He grabs him by his T-shirt and he spins around, his hand touching the floor as he tries to balance himself. When he's upright again, he has a big lump of thick mud in his hand.   
  
“Don't come any closer or I'll shoot,” he says, eyes sparkling with mischief.   
  
“I'm loaded as well, don't test me,” Harry says and grabs a spoonful of mud from the ground as well. His hands are bigger and he'll do more damage.   
  
“Oh no, I'm so scared,” Niall mocks and throws it at him. Harry dodges and throws it as well, a little bit spraying Niall's jeans. He sees Niall bending to grab more and makes a run for it.   
  
He runs in the direction of the house, cackling as Niall threatens to give him a special mud face mask to go with his fancy face wash. He doesn't stop for a second before crossing the doorway and finding himself in the middle of the living room, breathing fast and waiting for Niall to appear. It takes him almost a full minute, and Harry wonders what's taking him so long.  
  
When he finally appears, standing under the threshold, his face falls, along with his gaze. Harry is confused for a split second before he follows his eyes and they land on the muddy footprints he's left on the sparkling wooden floor. They are thick and clear, and for a moment he thanks God for the small things when he sees he hasn't reached the carpet yet. His prayers die on his lips when he hears footsteps coming from upstairs.  
  
“Me dad is gonna lose it,” Niall whispers, beckoning Harry to come closer, “he hates it when I mess up the house Jenny's just cleaned.”  
  
“Shit,” Harry mumbles, feeling a sting of guilt warm in his stomach.   
  
“Quick, change boots with me,” Niall says, already removing his. They're much cleaner and Harry knows he must have taken his time cleaning them before stepping in. It shows a lesson so ingrained in him he wonders how punished he must have been before for committing the same mistake Harry just did.   
  
“What are you doing?” Harry asks as Niall tugs at his feet, urging him to do the same. “They'll be mad at you,” he whispers.  
  
“Yeah, but if they're mad at me, they won't be mad at _you.”  
  
_ Harry complies, and they change boots as soon as both Jenny and Brian converge on the living room. The boots are similar in all aspects except the size, and Harry feels his toes a little cramped. It's nothing compared to the familiar feeling in his stomach from when he knows he fucked up.   
  
“Oh, Niall,” Jenny says and frowns. She seems upset, but it's nothing compared to the steely look on Brian's face.  
  
“How many times...” he starts, and trails off.   
  
“Sorry, dad. I was playing around with Harry and didn't pay attention,” he says, eyes cast low.  
  
“Besides helping with the farm, Jenny still does most of the house work, and you think it's fair to do this to her?” He asks, and Harry wants to speak up, but he feels Niall nudging his arm and stays quiet.  
  
“I'm sorry, I'll clean it up right away,” he says and the tension in the room is palpable.   
  
“Of course you will,” his father says and goes to the kitchen and out back.   
  
“Harry, will you please get the eggs while Niall cleans? I have an appointment at eight and I don't want to miss it,” Jenny says.  
  
Harry looks at Niall, who mouths “it's fine, go”.  
  
“Sure, I'll go,” he says and steps out as Niall grabs a bucket and a rag. He feels like shit, letting Niall take the blame.  
  
The truth is, he's not brave, has never been. He's always tried to get out of situations that were harmful to him and has never put much thought into others while he did so. He likes to think it's a twisted version of survival instinct, but knows he's just a coward.   
  
He's moping when he gets back and starts putting the eggs on the cartons. Niall is upstairs, and he only sees him when they're getting into the truck, squeezing to fit next to each other. He wouldn't mind riding in the back, he deserves it.  
  
He doesn't talk much on the way to the town, but Niall and Jenny keep the conversation going as if nothing had happened earlier. She drops them off at the school where Rosie works, and Harry waits outside, thank you very much. He's already feeling too much like a loser today to third-wheel, no matter what Niall says.   
  
It's only when Niall comes out of the school building and joins him in the street that Harry has a chance to talk to him alone.  
  
“If we go this way there's a great bakery, we can buy something to eat, I'm starv-”  
  
“Thanks for what you did earlier today,” Harry interrupts him, putting his hand on his shoulder and looking straight at him. His eyes are ocean blue in the sun.  
  
“No big deal, Harry,” he says with a shrug of his shoulders and continues walking.  
  
“But you got the blame for something you didn't do.”  
  
“And with such terrible consequences. I had to clean a whole square meter of flooring!” He mocks and laughs.   
  
“That's not the point. Thank you for putting your ass on the line when you didn't have to. 'Cause you really didn't.” Harry insists and Niall nods.  
  
“Anytime, mate. Now let's go eat,” he says and guides them to a bakery nearby where Harry has the best cashew bread he's ever eaten. He drops the subject, but he doesn't forget it, not even the way Niall really didn't seem to care about it.  
  
They walk around the main street for a while, Harry wishing he'd brought his phone to take some photos. Last week he couldn't imagine himself being away from his phone for more than a few minutes, but now he doesn't really care where his phone is. He only gets the occasional call from his mother and the text from his sister, so he's not missing out on much.   
  
It stings more than it should when he realises the only reason his friends aren't texting him is because they don't want to, because his data plan is still functioning enough for texts. It hurts to know that it's only been a few days that he's away and they didn't bother to know if he's still alive or not. He stopped checking their groupchat.   
  
The weather cools down as the morning progresses and the sky turns dark grey with storm clouds. Jenny barely makes it when picking them up before it starts pouring. Trapped inside, Harry discovers the family spends their time together playing board games and reading. Niall is mesmerized by his Kindle and the possibility of having any book he wants at his disposal 24/7 without having to go to the library to get it.   
  
“And how many books fit in here?” Niall asks, turning it in his hand. They're in his room, Harry sitting down on the floor with Niall's guitar perched on his lap.   
  
“Thousands, I think. It's really an investment,” he says and looks up to where Niall is sitting on the bed. “Saves you a lot of money if you download books online for free, as well.”  
  
“But you still have to pay for them, right?”  
  
“Not necessarily, if you know where to look for them,” Harry says and Niall eyes him suspiciously.  
  
“Is that the rebel in you speaking?”  
  
Harry snorts. “Some rebel I am, downloading _books_ , out of all things. I make up for it by downloading a shitload of porn as well,” he jokes. Niall doesn't seem to acknowledge his last comment. In fact, he looks distressed. “Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm not that bad of a person, you know.”  
  
“I don't think you're a bad person. I was just thinking about what Jenny told me about you, about why your mum sent you here.”  
  
Harry looks down. “What did she say?”  
  
“Not much, just that your mum didn't like the boys you hung out with.”  
  


“That's an understatement,” Harry says with a sad smirk, “she hates them. Says they're not really my friends and that I should know better.”  
  
“Why does she say that?”  
  
Harry thinks about how he's going to explain what happened. Niall is looking at him with interest shining in his eyes.  
  
“About a month ago my friends and I were out, we had a bit much to drink and were fooling around, acting like idiots, you know?” Harry starts and Niall nods, “Then we decided it would be super fun to pull a prank on one of our teachers, who has this really cool statue in his living room.”  
  
“How did you know he had a cool statue in his living room?” Niall asks, sitting next to him on the floor.  
  
“Because he showed us pictures of it, it's supposed to be from a famous sculptor, but don't ask me for his name. Anyway, we thought it would be fun to put on some sunglasses in it, take a few pictures and then leave. He said he'd be out of town that weekend, so we didn't think twice before climbing in through a window.”  
  
“You really thought this was a good idea?” Niall asks, and Harry flicks him on the forehead. “Hey!”  
  
“We did, we were drunk. Now of course he caught us. He wasn't travelling that weekend, it was the next one, but who actually listens when their teacher talks about their personal life? We all heard him coming down the stairs and everybody bailed. I was holding the statue at the time and it took me longer to run, so he caught me. And my mum thinks they left me behind on purpose.”  
  
“Well it sounds to me like the least they could have done was to get caught together. You don't leave a friend behind like that.”  
  
“Seriously, Niall? I don't need another parent, thank you very much,” Harry grumbles, and is surprised as hell when Niall rests his hand on his knee.   
  
“Sorry, mate. What happened next?”  
  
“Well, it turned out that he had already called the police when he heard voices downstairs, so I was taken to the police station and had the lecture of a lifetime from my mum and a couple of police officers. I was lucky I wasn't expelled, actually.”  
  
“What about your mates? What did they do?”  
  
“Nothing, what could they have done?” Harry asks, confused.  
  
“Well, they could say they were there, too. Not let you take all the blame.”  
  
“Who, in their right mind, would do that?”   
  
“I would,” Niall says, and Harry knows he would. Fuck, Niall wouldn't leave him behind in the first place. But he won't give anybody the satisfaction of knowing he was starting to question his friends' loyalty to him.   
  
“Long story short, I'm here to learn to be responsible or whatever,” Harry mumbles, and Niall grins.  
  
“Great, you can start with the evening milking.”  
  
“But it's raining,” Harry whines.  
  
“It's barely drizzling,” Niall says and Harry gets up. “Nah, mate. I'm just joking, I'll go.”  
  
“I'll help you. I'm getting faster, you know,” Harry says and they walk down the stairs together.  
  
“I know, and thanks. This way I can have dinner before going,” Niall says as they put on their boots.  
  
“Go where?”  
  
“Bible study.”  
  
Harry's jaw drops. Is he serious?  
  
“You go to bible study?”  
  
“Yeah, every Friday. Liam and Louis are going to be there, you should come, too.”  
  
“I-I...I don't have a bible.”  
  
Really, Harry? Really? That's the best you can come up with?  
  
“It's okay, we don't actually bring them, you know. We mostly discuss certain passages and how they apply to our everyday lives. But you don't have to come if you don't want to, obviously.”  
  
“No, I'll go,” he says, awkwardly. Niall smiles at him so brightly that Harry smiles back. His crooked teeth make it almost impossible to resist smiling back.  
  
“Great, let's get a move on, then. We're going to have fun, I just know it.”  
  
Harry has serious doubts about that, but he follows him out nonetheless. They are soon done with the milking, have showered and eaten. He jumps into the truck with Niall and off they go. For the tenth time that day alone, Harry thinks about his choices and how he's going to a bible study group on a Friday night. Things certainly have changed. 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Harry tries really hard to remember the last time he was in a church. He thinks it was for his First Communion, when he'd promised to remain a faithful follower. How ironic is that? He knows he's not going to burst into flames when he steps foot inside it, but oh my God is it really made out of stone? Harry gawks at the beautiful building when they park in front of it, and it looks ancient. It probably is.  
  
He breathes a sigh of relief when Niall directs them to the annex building, where a few people are gathered. This one is much more modern and the people are young. For some reason he expected to see nuns walking around, which he knows it's stupid, but still.  
  
“There they are,” Niall says and points to two young men standing close to the door, talking to each other. They are talking, b oth too preoccupied in their conversation to hear Harry and Niall stepping closer. “Tommo! Liam!” Niall calls out and they hug briefly. Harry stands aside, eyeing them curiously.   
  
They are all smiling, and he has time to look at them closely before being introduced. Liam is nearly as tall as he is, and his hair is almost shaved. His brown eyes are warm and his smile as contagious as Niall's. He acknowledges all of that in a few seconds, his attention soon turned to the other boy next to him.  
  
His eyes are such a deep blue that Harry stares. It's a different blue from Niall's, but just as beautiful. He's shorter than Harry and his hair is styled in a quiff. He's wearing braces and isn't that very appropriate church-wear. His eyes soften when he smiles and Harry swallows dry when he looks at him.  
  
“Oh, yeah, this is Harry.” Niall starts to introduce them. “And these guys are Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson.” Niall says almost proudly, while Harry shakes their hands.

  
“It's a pleasure to meet you,” he tells them politely. “Niall's told me a lot about you.”  
  
“Only good things, I suppose,” the Louis guy says and Harry has to look down. He's openly staring at him, head to toe. He suddenly feels self-concious in his dirty jeans and wrinkled shirt.   
  
  
“Did you miss us too much, Niall?” Liam asks playfully and Niall nods.  
  
“Yeah, but I had Harry to keep me company. He's learning all about living on a farm,” he says and Harry hears pride in his voice.   
  
“You can come by and help us with the cattle, a whole different story. It's where the real work is,” Liam tells him and Harry chuckles.  
  
“If I have the time, yeah.”  
  
“Hey, people,” Harry turns his head to see a man in his late thirties standing at the door, “Let's get started, shall we?” He says and guides them inside. There is at least a dozen people in the room and the chairs are arranged in a circle. Harry feels exposed. He doesn't belong there, and is afraid that people will notice it the second they spare him a second glance.   
  
He sits next to Niall with Louis by his other side, followed by Liam. They keep leaning to talk to each other, exchanging brief words about Liam's visit before the man in charge speaks. He clears his throat and everyone goes quiet.  
  
“Good evening, everyone,” he says with a warm smile and the knot in Harry's stomach eases a bit. He seems friendly enough. “I hope you had a joyful week and are ready to start our get together with an open heart. Before we start, we seem to have a new guest with us tonight.”  
  
Oh shit. Harry feels his stomach churn as all eyes turn to him. Everyone is around his age, and most of them are smiling at him, but he feels cornered nonetheless.   
  
“Guys, this is Harry,” Niall starts, and Harry feels his face burn, “He is a friend of my family and he's visiting us. He's from London.”  
  
People seem impressed by that, as if it makes him special or something.   
  
“Welcome to our group, Harry. I'm James and I'm currently in charge of handling our meetings. Don't feel pressured to speak in any way, although we'd love it if you could join us in our discussions. It would be great to have some input from someone who lives in London,” he says with a smile.   
  
“Thank you, I'll try,” Harry manages to say. He has never felt more like a fish out of water in his entire life.  
  
“Let's start with a prayer, shall we?” James says and they all stand up. Niall grabs his hand on one side and the touch is familiar. Harry's own hands are cold and Niall's warms it up a bit. He turns to the side to see Louis smiling at him, offering his own hand. He takes it and lowers his head as they pray Our Father and Hail Mary. This Harry feels comfortable doing, the words falling from his lips seamlessly.   
  
“Great, now I've prepared something for us today,” James picks up when they finish praying, “but I want to see if you can tell me what John said in chapter three, verse eight?”  
  
He turns around to see if anybody has the answer, but everybody is looking down at their own feet, avoiding his gaze.  
  
“We were discussing John last week, do you remember reading him in the bible at home?” James insists.  
  
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love,” Harry whispers, loud enough for Niall to hear him. He's looking at him like he's grown a second head or something.  
  
“Go on, say it loud,” Niall whispers back to him.  
  
“No way.”  
  
“You know it, come on. Just say-”  
  
“Yes, Niall?” James' voice cuts them off.  
  
“Harry knows,” he says and Harry's head snaps up, looking up from Niall to James, who has an encouraging smile on his face.  
  
“Yes, Harry?”   
  
Harry clears his throat, feeling all eyes on him. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love,” he says louder, sinking back in his chair immediately after saying it.  
  
“Thank you Harry, that's exactly it. This is the best description of God we can find. He is love. As simple as that. And we should all remember that God is in every one of us, every single person in our lives, when we treat them with nothing but kindness, when we treat them in a way Jesus would never do. Now, I want you to read this...”  
  
“What the fuck, Niall?” Harry whisper-shouts to him as James fumbles with the stack of papers on his chair. “Don't ever do that again.”  
  
“Chill, mate. I didn't know you read the scripture.”  
  
“I only remember it because I read it in a Stephen King's book, and the guy is a religious fanatic who kills an entire city. It stuck to me, for obvious reasons.”  
  
“We have an altar boy here with us,” Louis mocks him and Harry shoots him a glance. Louis raises his brows and licks his lips, as if prompting Harry to become annoyed was everything he was hoping for.  
  
“Now, I want you to read this and write at the bottom of the page how you can show God's love to the people in your life,” James says and passes the paper around. “Don't put your names on it, I'm not interested in who wrote it, I just want ideas.”  
  
Harry is not feeling so annoyed by the time the meeting ends and James thanks them for coming. It wasn't blindly religious as he was expecting it to be. It was actually very uplifting, he thinks. All the talk about loving people not in spite of their flaws, but  _because_ of them, was inspiring. He feels lighter, for some reason.   
  
“So where do you wanna go?” Liam asks as they exit the annex, walking towards Niall's truck. It's barely eight thirty.   
  
“I was thinking burgers tonight, what do you say?” Louis suggests, putting on a faded jeans jacket on.   
  
“I'm all up for burgers,” Nialls chirps excitedly, and Liam hums in agreement.  
  
“What about you Harry? Are you in the mood?” Louis turns his attention to him. Harry misses a step in his stride with the way Louis is looking at him.   
  
“Yeah, sure,” he says, looking down.  
  
“Can you give us a ride, Niall? My mum's dropped us off but she has business in town,” Liam asks.  
  
“Sure, hop in,” Niall says and they all squish together to fit. It doesn't go unnoticed by Harry that Louis is intentionally pressing their thighs together. He says nothing all the way to the burger place they decided to go.  
  
It's a nice place and it's full. They have a hard time finding somwhere to sit, and it's a booth at the far corner of the place. Harry slides in the seat and Liam takes the space next to him. This leaves him facing Louis directly. He feels almost as if he's being cornered. He picks up a menu and sinks his face into it.  
  
“What's good in here?” He asks no one in particular.  
  
“Everything!” Niall exclaims, and they all laugh.   
  
“Get this one,” Liam points him a burger on the menu that looks delicious, but far too big. He had already had dinner before going.   
  
“I'll get it without the fries, maybe,” he says and Liam chuckles. “Trying to watch your weight?”  
  
“Not really, I'm just not so hungry,” Harry explains.  
  
“You don't have to watch it, you look perfectly fit to me,” Louis comments, turning the page on his own menu nonchalantly.   
  
Harry gapes at him. Maybe he was imagining things before, but Louis is definitely flirting with him. He darts his eyes around the table, but nobody seems to have been paying attention. He clears his throat and makes his order to the waitress that came to their table.  
  
Louis doesn't make any more comments like that for the rest of the night, but he keeps stealing glances at Harry, who is growing more and more comfortable with them as they chat. He wouldn't swear by it, but he thinks he feels Louis' foot touching his calf purposefully under the table.   
  
Harry feels almost like they've been friends for a while. They all do their best to include him in any topic of conversation and Harry is grateful. He also snorts soda out of his nose when Liam tells him a particularly funny story involving Niall and the girls' bathroom when they were in first grade.  
  
It's past eleven o'clock when they consider themselves full enough to go, and the night air is chilly when they step out.   
  
“It's great to have you both back,” Niall says, putting his arms across both Louis and Liam's shoulders.   
  
“You sound drunk,” Louis mocks. “But I've missed you too.”  
  
“Too bad you're only staying for a week,” Niall pouts. Louis told them all about the charity projects he'd gotten involved and how that entailed a lot of traveling around during the summer.  
  
“I'm a busy man. But you'll survive. You have Liam and Harry here to keep you company,” Louis slings his arm over Harry's shoulders. He's warm and Harry can faintly smell cologne on him. He tries his best not to lean into the touch.  
  
They drive back in almost complete silence. Liam is sat next to Harry this time. They all feel a little sleepy, given that they are all used to sleeping much earlier, and both Liam and Louis are tired from traveling back to Mullingar.   
  
“I hope to see more of you around,” Louis tells Harry when they drop him off at his house.  
  
Harry nods and Niall answers for him. “You'll be seeing lots of him. Harry is staying the whole month.”  
  
“Great,” Louis says and Harry wonders if Niall has caught up on what's happening just yet. Probably not.  
  
He's having trouble keeping his eyes open when he's brushing his teeth on the sink. It's barely midnight and he's almost collapsing from sleep. He goes into Niall's bedroom to fetch his pajamas – doesn't want a repeat of the morning's half-naked encounter, when he stops dead in his tracks.  
  
Niall is kneeling by the bed, already in his ratty T-shirt and shorts he wears to sleep. It takes a moment for Harry to realize that he's praying. He stands there without knowing what to do. Niall looks at him and gives him a faint smile, his lips forming silent words as he closes his eyes and covers his face with his hands.  
  
After a few seconds, he makes the sign of the cross and stands up.  
  
“So, what did you think of the boys?” He asks, cheerful.   
  
Harry is quickly grabbing his pajamas. “They are fun. I like them.”  
  
“I knew you would. They'll probably come by tomorrow,” Niall says and Harry hums.  
  
“Well, I'm gonna go now,” he says, giving Niall a faint smile. He doesn't know why he feels so embarrassed by catching him praying, but he does. It feels too intimate. “Sleep well, Niall.”  
  
“You too, mate. See you tomorrow.”  
  
Harry is out in a flash. He throws his clothes in the hamper and makes a mental note to do laundry the next day. He thinks he's going to be asleep the minute his head touches the pillow, but sleep is slow to come. He keeps thinking about Louis flirting with him, and even more about the fact that Niall hasn't even noticed it. Niall should have noticed it, should have said something. But he didn't, and that bothers Harry for reasons he doesn't understand.   
  
He wakes up and glances at his cell phone to see it's four forty. His bladder feels like it's about to explode and his morning wood is borderline painful. With a groan he shoves the blanket aside and heads to the bathroom. It's no use staying in bed for those extra twenty minutes when he knows he won't fall asleep again.   
  
It's a pain to pee, but his erection is subsiding and he feels human again after washing his face, running his wet fingers through his hair and brushing his teeth. All he needs to do is change clothes and he'll be ready for the day even before his alarm rings. He walks by Niall's room at the exact moment Niall's own alarm rings and he hears a groan and what sounds like a low moan coming from inside. Niall is probably just as sleepy as he is, and he smiles mischievously with the idea of teasing him about it. Farm boy used to getting up early his ass.  
  
He opens the door without knocking, and that is probably the biggest mistake he's ever made since he's gotten there. His jaw drops when his eyes adjust do the dimly lit room and make out what he's seeing exactly.  
  
Niall has his shorts lowered to his thighs and is holding his cock in his hand, his forehead slightly damp as he's frozen in place. Their eyes meet and Harry thinks Niall's cheeks are going to burst into flames with how flushed he is with embarrassment and arousal. He quickly shoves himself back into his shorts, but it was enough for Harry to get a good look at his erection.  
  
For some reason, he's  _still_ standing by the door. He opens his mouth to say something, sees Niall do the same, but no sound comes out. If he thought it was awkward walking in on Niall last night, this is a whole level of awkwardness. It's probably one of the circles of hell, he thinks to himself.  
  
Finally, _finally_ , Harry spits out a “shit, sorry,” and closes the door. He leans against it, chanting “fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck,” before moving to his own bedroom. He catches the clothes from the hamper because no way in hell he's coming back to Niall's room to get clean ones.  
  
He waits to hear the door open in the hallway for a good ten minutes, but Niall still hasn't left the bedroom. With a sigh, he goes downstairs for breakfast.  
  
“Morning,” Brian greets him, holding up the kettle for him.   
  
“Good morning,” Harry replies, getting a mug and accepting the tea.   
  
“Arrived late last night?” Brian asks, stifling a yawn himself. “Didn't hear ya coming.”  
  
“Around eleven.”  
  
“Niall's still asleep?” He asks and Harry has the decency to blush.  
  
“I think so, maybe he slept through his alarm.”  
  
“Well, I'll go wake 'im up. It's not fair for ya to have 'im sleep in while ya start on your chores.”  
  
“No! I mean, it's fine. He's probably already up anyway,” he says, and hides his face with his hair as he munches on some bread. The homemade jam is his favorite, but he can barely taste it.   
  
“Jenny usually sleeps a little later on weekends if we have nothing extra to do, but the animals need tending,” Brian says, finishing up his tea.   
  
“Yeah, I'll get right into it,” Harry says quickly, gobbling up his bread.  
  
“No, I didn't say it to rush ya,” Brian explains and puts a calming hand on his shoulder, “but ya and Niall have the day off to do whatever ya please after ya done with the animals. Enjoy yar weekend.”  
  
“Thanks,” Harry says with a smile, but the last thing he wants is free time with Niall. All he wants is to not see the boy at all for the day. He's sure Niall feels the same.  
  
He's already taken care of the cows and is fetching water for them when Niall emerges from the house. Their eyes meet and Niall looks down immediately. He goes to the hen house and Harry stalls outside, waiting for him to finish up. He doesn't want to be in a cramped space with him at the moment.  
  
When he comes out, Harry steps in front of him.  
  
“I'm sorry, I should have knocked,” he says and damn it, Niall is avoiding his gaze at all costs. He mumbles something Harry doesn't understand and walks past him without a second look. Harry sighs in frustration.  
  
It's not until Harry fakes a headache to avoid doing the delivery with Niall – to the church, of all places, that Jenny notices something's off. She keeps quiet until Niall also claims an upset stomach to avoid sitting at the table for lunch.   
  
“Did you and Niall fight?” She asks him, bringing him tea with biscuits to his bedroom.   
  
“No,” Harry says, too smart to ask why. He knows why, they haven't spoken a word all morning.   
  
“Niall skipped lunch. When Niall denies food, I know something's up,” she says and Harry laughs in spite of himself. “And neither of you is feeling sick, I can tell you that.”  
  
“We're fine,” he lies through his teeth. “We're both having one of those days, I guess.”  
  
She opens her mouth to say something, but closes it again.   
  
“Fine, I won't meddle. But it's a beautiful day out and you really should go outside and get some air.”  
  
“I will,” he says with a smile and no intention of doing so. But he gets bored soon enough. He grabs his Ipod and heads out the door, looking for a distraction. He walks over to the small pond that is technically in the Tomlinson's property, and is surprised to find Niall there. He's sitting cross legged on the stump of a tree. Harry tears off the earplugs and sits next to him on the floor.  
  
“So I saw you wanking. Big deal, everybody does it, let's move on,” he says all at once. Niall looks at him with his eyes wide, his mouth a perfect “oh”. He looks so appalled that Harry laughs. It's really not that funny, but the tension is broken like a spell.  
  
“I'm so embarrassed,” Niall finally says, grabbing a stick and focusing on breaking it into tiny pieces.   
“No need to be. It's only natural, the unfortunate part is that I walked in on you. But it happens to the best of us.”   
  
“I don't usually do it, you know,” Niall says, voice low.  
  
“Do what?”  
  
“You know...”Niall looks too embarrassed to continue.  
  
“Have a wank? Beat one off? Polish the bannister?” He lists and Niall doubles over with laughter, so he goes on. “Cuff the carrot? Paint the pickle?” He's laughing himself now.  
  
“Yeah, that,” Niall says, and doesn't look as mortified as before.   
  
“Well, don't sweat it. You're not the first guy I saw wanking and hopefully won't be the last either,” Harry says, and picks up a stone on the grass next to him. It's only when Niall freezes completely that it occurs to Harry that he may have said too much. He looks up to find Niall staring at him with a blank expression.  
  
“What-What do you mean hopefully?” He asks.  
  
_Shit_ , he thinks. It takes him a split second before he decides to open up to Niall. What's the worst that could happen, really?  
  
“Ahmm, I'm...Well, I like to see men. Touching their dicks. I like touching them, too.”  
  
Great, now he's fucked it up. He can practically see the gears turning inside Niall's head.  
  
“What I'm saying is, I'm gay. I like boys. As in, romantically. Sexually, too,” God he's rambling, but Niall finally caught up with it.   
  
“Oh,” he says, and starts chewing on his bottom lip. He avoids Harry's eyes and he's worried.  
  
“Is that a problem?” He asks, defensively. “Does it bother you? Because I know how the church sees people like me and-”  
  
“No, of course it's not a problem,” Niall says and Harry is happy to see he sounds honest. “It's not because I'm a catholic that I'm a homophobe.”  
  
“Good, that's good,” Harry says, and he honestly doesn't know what to say.  
  
“It's just that you're the first gay guy I know, I was taken aback.”  
  
Harry snorts. He thinks of Louis and his flirting last night and shit, Niall doesn't know it. He can see it in his eyes he doesn't know it.  
  
“Well, I'm sure you've met more gay people, you just don't know it.”  
  
“Maybe,” he agrees. He sits down next to Harry, facing the pond. Harry's heart flutters in his chest. Niall has no problem being around him, and he doesn't know why it brings him such relief to know that.   
  
“So...how do you know you're gay?” He asks shyly.  
  
“Well, I just...know it. I find men attractive and I have sex with them. That's pretty much it for me,” he tries to joke, but Niall is serious. Okay, serious talk right now.   
  
“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked,” Niall says, and Harry shakes his head.  
  
“No, it's fine. We can talk about it, no problem. You can ask me anything you want,” and he means it. He knows that Niall probably doesn't have anybody to talk to about these things. His father would never talk about it, and he bets his life that he'd rather die than talk to Jenny. That leaves his friends, but given the fact that he doesn't even know that one of his best mates likes men is a good indication that this is a topic that is not brought up much.   
  
“Do you have a boyfriend back in London?” Niall asks and Harry shakes his head again.  
  
“Nope, no boyfriend.”  
  
“But have you...have you had sex?” Niall looks so shy that it's endearing.  
  
“Yes, but only with boys. I've kissed a few girls, but it never went further than that.”  
  
“But you said you like boys,” Niall frowns.  
  
“Yeah, but I tried kissing girls to see if I liked it.”  
  
“Did you?”  
  
“Yeah, it wasn't bad. But it wasn't the same when I kissed a boy. I didn't want to have sex with the girls, so I just stopped and went to boys instead. Do you like kissing girls?”  
  
Niall manages to blush even more. “I...I haven't properly kissed anyone yet,” he admits. It's clear he's expecting to be made fun of, but Harry is not going to fuck this up.  
  
“You mean you haven't kissed with your tongue?” He asks and Niall nods.  
  
“Just touching the lips, you know.”  
  
“Well, that's still a kiss. Did you like it?”  
  
“I think so. I don't remember much, it was a few years ago.”  
  
“And why didn't you kiss anyone after that? Don't you have a crush on anyone?”  
  
Niall blushes furiously. “I didn't want to kiss anyone after that. I look at some girls and I think wow she's pretty, but then it's not like I want to do something about it, you know? I don't want a girlfriend.”  
  
“You don't have to have a girlfriend to kiss,” Harry says with a roll of his eyes, which he's thankful Niall hasn't noticed. How could he, he's avoiding looking at Harry like he's the antichrist. “You can just kiss and not be boyfriend and girlfriend.”  
  
“I know, but I don't want that.”  
  
“Okay, fair enough.”  
  
Harry doesn't say anything else. His mind is swimming with questions, but he keeps quiet. Niall is the one to break the silence.  
  
“Can I ask you about...sex? It's not like we have sex ed at school.” He says the word sex as if it's forbidden.  
  
“Yeah, of course. I can't tell you what sex with women feels like from experience, but I've heard enough about it,” he says with a chuckle.  
  
“No, I know how sex with women works. I want to know what it's like to have sex with boys.”  
  
Harry swallows dry. There's something about the way Niall is speaking that sends a shiver down his spine. He closes his eyes slowly before opening them again. “Shoot,” he says and Niall takes a deep breath.  
  
“Have you ever...God, this is so embarrassing,” he says and covers his face with his hands. “When you say sex, do you mean, like, anal sex?”  
  
“I've done that, yes. But oral happens more often. It needs a lot less prep and it's faster.” Harry surprises himself with how casual he sounds, like he's not talking to the most innocent boy he's ever met in his life.   
  
“And when you had sex, did you- did you like, receive the...”  
  
Harry smirks. “The word you're looking for is bottom. You want to know if I bottom, if I'm the one who gets penetrated.” The word makes him cringe, but he thinks it's better than saying take it up the ass.   
  
“Yeah, that's it,” Niall admits, and Harry wants to duck his face into the water to lighten up the red in his cheeks a bit. He composes himself.  
  
“I've done both ways. I've topped and I've bottomed. Both have their perks and I really have no preference.”  
  
“But doesn't it hurt? Because it sounds like it hurts.”  
  
“If you're not fully prepped and lubed up, yeah. I learned my lesson the hard way,” he jokes and the short laughter dies in his lips. Right. Serious talk.   
  
“What do you mean prepped?” Niall asks, his head cocked up to the side like a confused dog. Harry takes a deep breath. He can do this.   
  
“Well, if you just shove it in it's gonna hurt like hell, so you start with your fingers first, stretching the rim a bit until it's comfortable enough for the real deal. And going in dry is a terrible idea, it can really hurt, so lube becomes your best friend.”  
  
“Oh, I see.”  
  
Harry can see he wants to ask more, but is struggling against it.  
  
“Niall, I don't mind you asking me these things. I really don't.”  
  
“You're blushing,” Niall points out, and Harry realizes that he is.  
  
“Well, don't let it stop you.”  
  
Niall takes a deep breath. “It sounds a bit disgusting to me, to be honest.”  
  
Harry giggles. “Any type of sex can be disgusting without proper hygiene. I don't go anywhere near a guy's dick if he hasn't showered in the last, I don't know, ten hours. Much less his bum.”   
  
That gets a laugh out of Niall, and Harry feels proud. He thinks maybe he isn't the completely wrong person to be talking to Niall after all.   
  
“Besides, it's not all guys that enjoy anal sex. Some people like it, some don't. I happen to like it, but I completely understand guys who don't. Being gay doesn't mean liking anal sex.”  
  
Niall mulls it over.   
  
“I have yet to find a guy who doesn't like a blowjob, though” Harry adds and Niall chuckles.   
  
“I bet it feels good,” he muses.  
  
“Good is an understatement. It feels amazing, if done right.”  
  
“Do you like doing it, too?” Niall asks, and grabs another stick, the one in his hand completely torn apart already.   
  
“Yeah, it's really fun. But, like I said, proper hygiene and all that.”  
  
“I can't even imagine what it tastes like.”  
  
Harry can't help himself. Niall looks like he's about to burst from shame. He reaches for the water and scoops a handful of it, tossing it on Niall's face.  
  
“Chill, Niall. We're having an adult conversation here, don't act like the schoolboy you are,” he feigns anger and Niall laughs, rubbing his face dry. He's laughing and Harry mentally cheers. “And what do you mean you don't know how it tastes? You're telling me you've never tasted your own cum?”  
  
Niall shakes his head, and his expressions reveals that he never thought about doing it before.   
  
“Well, if you're curious, try it next time. It honestly doesn't taste bad,” Harry shrugs his shoulders and picks on the grass next to him. This was not how he thought his afternoon would turn out to be.   
  
“Harry?” Niall starts and Harry finds he's actually looking at him this time. “Does your mum know that you're gay?”  
  
Harry sighs. “I guess she does, but I never really told her. My sister knows, she was the first person I talked to when I realized I'd rather be with boys than girls. But she must know, she's a mum and mums know everything.”  
  
Niall smiles shyly. “I wouldn't know about that, but I guess you're right.”  
  
Shit, can Harry screw things up more if he tried?   
  
“She knows I have friends who are girls, and maybe she thinks I hook up with them? I don't know, we stay out of each other's sex lives. All she cares about, and she's been telling me and my sister the same thing since we started showing interest in other people, is to always have the two “c”. Consent and condoms. Other than that, she doesn't really care what my sister and I do with our sex lives. She knows I'm active, found condoms in my bedroom and asked if I was using them properly.”  
  
“Shit, I bet that was awkward,” Niall says, grabbing yet another stick to tear apart.   
  
“Not really. I left them on the top of my dresser by accident, I had just bought them. She looked at them and said 'hope you're making good use of them' and I said that I was. She smiled, nodded and left.”   
  
“Your mum sounds really chill,” Niall says in awe.  
  
“She is,” Harry says, pride evident in his voice. He feels a sting in his heart from how much he misses her.   
  
“Why didn't you tell her about it, then?”  
  
“I don't know, I don't think it's necessary. Maybe I'll tell her eventually, but like I said, I think she already knows. She doesn't seem to care, so there's that.”  
  
“How many people have you been with?” Niall suddenly asks.  
  
“Define been with,” Harry retorts.  
  
“Kissed,” Niall says and Harry thinks.   
  
“Nine,” he says, unsure. Maybe it was eight, maybe it was ten.   
  
“Holy shit, that's a lot,” Niall says, impressed. It's Harry's turn to be confused. It's really not a lot of people, his friends always made a point of telling him that. Always made him feel like less than them for it. “What about sex?”   
  
Is it just Harry's impression or did Niall just say the word sex like it wasn't poison falling from his lips?  
  
“Like, handjobs and blowjobs? Four. Full on anal sex, two.”  
  
“Wow,” Niall says and Harry giggles. He sounds so awestruck that it's both funny and adorable. “And you don't have a boyfriend now?” Niall insists.  
  
“Never had one. Although we could argue that the second guy I had sex with was sort of my boyfriend? He was my classmate and we hung out all the time. Both his parents worked full time and he had the house all to himself after school, so we went to town pretty much every day. I swear there was so much cum on those sheets by the end of the week that they were stiff,” he laughs and this time Niall's lips curve in a small smile. “He didn't think I was his boyfriend, though. He hooked up with half the drama club behind my back,” he says as if it hadn't broken his heart for the first time.  
  
“Oh, sorry to hear that,” Niall says, and Harrys tsks him. “What a dick,” he finishes in all seriousness.  
  
Harry bursts laughing, hugging his knees and closing his eyes. He feels Niall's hand land on his shoulder and hears him laughing, too. When he looks up Niall is staring at him with kindness in his eyes. “Thanks for talking to me about those things,” he says.  
  
“Anytime. Any questions you have, I'm your man. I think so, anyway. If I don't have an answer there's a library just down the road with internet access and endless possibilities,” he jokes and Niall gets up. He thinks maybe Niall wouldn't be so full of questions if he had internet access at home. God knows how much Harry learned from it.  
  
“Let's get something to eat, I'm starving,” Niall says and Harry stands up and follows him back to the house.  
  
Just like that, everything is back to normal. Harry feels like a weight has been lifted off his shoulder and that he and Niall are closer than ever. He hopes he doesn't fuck it up. 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Service wasn't nearly as bad as Harry thought it would be. He actually enjoyed putting on dress pants and a blazer for once. Everybody in the house had assured him it was fine if he opted to stay home, he had absolutely no obligation to go, but he wanted to. It made him feel like part of the family and besides, it was just two hours of his whole day.  
  
He found he still remembered most of the prayers and what to chant along with everybody when the priest spoke. He said amen in all the correct times and didn't make a fool of himself. Of course he was only half listening to the sermon because his mind was too busy paying attention to Louis, sitting on a row next to his, a little up front. The boy would not stop turning his head to look at him the entire time. It got to a point where even Niall noticed it.  
  
“I think Louis wants to tell you something,” he said, and Harry thought he couldn't possibly be so naïve, but apparently he was.  
  
They all went to have lunch at the Tomlinson's house, and Harry stuck to Niall's side the entire time.   
  
“Let's play some footie after lunch, yeah?” Louis suggests as they're setting the table for everybody. It's quite a lot of people, three families together. Louis' sisters are going back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room table, bringing dish after dish of delicious food.   
  
“Sure, can't wait to see if Harry is a good player,” Liam says with a raise of his eyebrows. Harry dimisses him with a shrug of his shoulders.  
  
“Don't expect much, I'm not really good at it. I like playing, though, it's fun.”  
  
“I bet you're a lot of fun playing,” Louis says as he walks past him with a wink that only Harry could see. His cheeks burn and he lowers his head.   
  
Harry is not shy, has never been. He knows how to flirt and how to lead somebody on any way he likes; he's done that to his favor countless times. But this is different. They're always among friends and family when Louis so blatantly flirts with him, that he doesn't know what to do with himself.   
  
And there's Niall. He's so oblivious to all of it that it baffles him. He suspects Liam knows about Louis, but Niall doesn't have a clue and it makes him uncomfortable when Louis acts like that around him.   
  
He finds Louis attractive, of course he does. He'd have to be blind not to see how gorgeous and charming the boy is. If he'd met him at a party back home he'd definitely be flirting with him. Hell, he would have probably started it. But right now all he can do is search for Niall in the living room and make sure he sits next to him when they sit down to eat.  
  
It's down to odds or evens to see who is doing the dishes, the boys or Louis' sisters. They all groan and mope when Louis loses it to the oldest sister and off they go to the kitchen to wash the pile of dishes that seem to go up forever.   
  
Harry scrapes any leftover food from the plates, Liam washes them, Niall dries and Louis puts it all away. It's an effective team work and they are outside playing in less than an hour.   
  
“Jesus, Harry. I know you warned us but I didn't think you'd be this bad,” Niall teases him as yet again Harry loses the ball to Louis, who is literally running circles around him.   
  
Harry is panting. His T-shirt is glued to his sweaty skin. His hair keeps falling in his eyes and Louis is staring at him.  
  
“Come on, Harry. I dare you to take the ball from me,” Louis says with a smirk. His eyes are sparkling with mischief and his own hair is stuck to his forehead. He's panting too, but not as hard as Harry is.   
  
Harry sinks his bare toes in the grass and makes a run for it. Louis expertly maneuvers the ball away from Harry, bypassing Niall altogether when he tries to retrieve the ball. With a surge forward, Harry grabs Louis by his T-shirt and the boy loses his balance. He spins and falls with a thud, his feet bump into Harry and down he goes, right on top of Louis.  
  
Harry tries to break the fall with his hands, but they only end up next to Louis' head. Louis' breath is momentarily taken away from him with the impact of Harry's body over his. He doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he slightly opens his legs and Harry slides in between them.   
  
“Not exactly how I had this in mind, but I'm open to it,” Louis whispers with a smirk. This time, Harry smirks back.   
  
“When did we change it to American football?” Niall teases and drops himself on top of the two of them. Harry rolls away from Louis and he catches Liam's eyes. The way he's looking at him tells him all he needs to know. Liam knows about Louis, and now probably knows about Harry too.   
  
“I say we forget this stupid game and we go for a swim,” Niall suggests, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.  
  
“Such a sore loser,” Liam teases, but follows him nonetheless.   
  
The pond is close to the house. It doesn't look deep, but Harry wouldn't mind it even if it was. He's a great swimmer. He's about to open his mouth to say he hasn't brought any swimming trunks when Liam takes off his shirt and jumps into the water in only his pair of shorts. Well, if they're going to do it that way, he's settled.  
  
Louis is next, and he strips down to only his boxers before cannon-balling next to Liam. Niall doesn't jump in, he walks into it slowly, keeping the water waist level. Is he seriously not even gonna take his t-shirt off? It clings to his body when he dips down, sinking his head under the water and standing up again. He shakes his head like a dog and his hair sticks out in pointy ends. Harry has to remind himself not to stare.   
  
Never one to be ashamed of his body, Harry is quick to remove his own t-shirt and make a run for the water, jumping and holding his breath as he sinks in the cool water. It does wonders for his sun-hot skin. When he swims back up, all eyes are on him.   
  
Niall is doing his best not to blush, he can see. Liam is looking at him curiously and Louis is, in a few words, eye-fucking him.   
  
“Nice tats, man,” Liam says, nodding his head towards Harry's arms. He realizes he's the only one to have them.   
  
“Thanks,” he says, and swims back closer to the edge of the water, where Niall is still standing.   
  
“I've always wanted to do one, but my dad would kill me,” Liam adds.   
  
“My mum doesn't care. She has this whole 'your body, your rules' thing going on. She gets a little annoyed when I show up with a new one, though,” Harry explains.  
  
“Well let me have a closer look,” Louis says and stands close to him. His fingers trace the designs on his arms, and if Harry shivers it's only because of the breeze on his wet skin. “Some of these are stupid,” he says finally and Harry laughs.  
  
“Can't argue with that,” he says. Louis still has his hand on Harry's upper arm, and the sun is shining right on his face, making his skin and hair glow. Harry swallows dry.   
  
“I'll swim you to the other side and back,” Harry says with a grin.   
  
“You're on, Curly. Liam, join us?”  
  
“Sure,” Liam says and stands next to them. “Niall will be the judge, right?” He says and Niall nods.  
  
“Aren't you going to swim with us?” Harry asks, a little disappointed.  
  
“I can't.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Because I literally don't know how to swim,” Niall explains and crosses his arms in front of his chest to stand firmer on the muddy ground. Harry's eyes travel to his arms and chest. They are strong; he's built like a man used to manual labor. It's the hottest thing Harry's ever seen.   
  
“Shut up, are you serious?” Harry asks and Niall nods.  
  
“We've offered to teach him countless times, he won't do it,” Louis explains.   
  
“I'm fine in the shallow waters, thanks. But you go and race and be tired, I'll just relax and cool down here,” he says.   
  
And so they race one another. Harry knows he's probably the best swimmer out of them, but he takes no chances. He moves his arms and legs fast and strongly, and when he reaches the other side of the pond – granted, not twenty meters away – he looks up and sees he's got a good headstart. He glances at Niall when he turns his body back in the other direction, and the boy gives him a thumbs up. He has time to signal it back to him and swim back slower this time.   
  
“I guess you won,” Niall tells him and they high-five. Liam is next and Louis is the last one.  
  
“Shit, mate. You're fast,” Louis pants, sitting on the grass and keeping his legs in the water.  
  
“I'm rubbish with a ball, but put me in the water and it's a different story. How deep is it?” He asks no one in particular, nodding towards the center of the pond.  
  
“About five meters deep, we think,” Liam shrugs.   
  
“Let's see,” Harry says and swings his body downwards, taking a big breath before sinking his head underwater. He kicks his feet and moves his arms. He closes his eyes and keeps swimming. The water is dark and he counts ten seconds before his hands reach mud. With a quick movement, he's swimming back up.  
  
His eyes are open now near the surface and the water is clear enough for him to make out the shape of another person in the water next to him. He squints and sees it's Louis. He catches a glimpse of white teeth as Louis smiles and puts his hands around Harry's waist. Startled, he lets out a gulp of air, bubbles coming out of his mouth. Louis momentarily pulls him close, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist and grinding their hips together. Harry feels dizzy.  
  
His lungs are starting to burn now. Not much, he can hold his breath for quite a long time, but enough to make him anxious. He pulls away and uses his finger to point “up”, to which Louis nods and they both break the surface at the same time.   
  
“I'd say it's about five meters, yeah,” Harry says rubbing his eyes and taking deep breaths. When he looks to the side, Louis is running his hands through his hair and blinking water away. He smiles at Harry, who starts to giggle for no reason at all. Holding his breath always makes him giddy.   
  
He doesn't know what the deal is with Louis. He doesn't know it the flirting is supposed to lead somewhere or not. He tries not to over think it. Louis will be gone in less than a week. Hell,  _he_ will be gone by the end of the month.   
  
Harry discovers there's a rope tied to a tree standing next to the water. The afternoon is spent between jumping into the water and hanging around with Niall in the shallow area. If he lifts Louis up on his shoulders and grips his thighs a little tighter than necessary, the boy doesn't complain. In fact, he insists that Harry does it again several times.   
  
It's the most fun he's had in weeks. When the sun starts to go down and the breeze has become chilly, they bid their goodbyes and walk home. He's shivering next to Niall, whose clothes are soaked through.   
  
“I'm starving,” Harry says as they approach the house. “I'm starting to sound like you.”  
  
“That's because you were exercising too much today,” Niall points out.   
  
“Yeah but you're like that all the time,” Harry teases and Niall smacks his arm playfully. Harry closes his eyes and tries not to think too much. Niall is friendly and his touches are nothing but that. He thinks os Louis and his looks. Now  _those_ are full of second intentions. 

  
The week flies by. Harry spends ninety-five percent of his waking time with Niall. The other five percent account for showers and the little time he spends awake when he goes to his bedroom to sleep. The thing is, Niall is funny. He's carefree. He's witty and oh so smart. Harry can talk to him about anything, and he'll have an opinion on it. It's usually a very educated one at that.  
  
Niall's sense of humor is like nothing Harry's seen. He doesn't make fun of anybody or anything, doesn't need to do that to be funny. It's so different from the way him and his mates back home have a laugh that Harry finds himself out of words when Niall says something particularly funny. And Niall  _loves_ puns. In Harry's book, it's the best personality trait a person can have.   
  
Niall is kind. He's caring. In the whole ten days he's been there, not once has he seen Niall put himself first. He's always helping everybody anyway he can, always easing the burden and often taking up more than he can carry.   
  
Niall is endearing. His laugh is addictive. He laughs without being afraid of sounding ridiculous, and Harry does anything he can to make him sound like that. Harry has studied his face enough to tell his mood with just a quick glance. Just a slightly slower blink and he can tell Niall is sleepy. One stretch of his back and he can tell just how tired he is. One look they exchange and they're laughing at nothing.  
  
Harry is falling hard and fast, and there's nothing he can do about it. He can only blame Niall and his stupid perfect face with the adorable crooked teeth and soldier on. Because it's not like he can do anything about it. It's not like he _wants_ to do something about it. He's leaving soon and he doesn't want to taint the boy who is so innocent and doesn't deserve anything bad to happen to him. He deserves better than Harry can give him.  
  
Besides, he's pretty sure Niall doesn't like boys. Scratch that, Harry doesn't know anything about him that way. It's an endless circle of frustration when he thinks about it. So many “what ifs” that make his head spin. But he'll be damned if he doesn't make the best out of the time they still have together.   
  
So he keeps quiet. He acts like his heart is not racing in his chest when Niall spares him the slightest of touches. He acts like he's not beaming with happiness when Niall laughs at one of his jokes and pays him a compliment. He acts like he doesn't want to grab his face and kiss him breathless. He thinks he's quite successful. At least Niall hasn't said anything to him, which honestly doesn't mean much. He's as perceptive as a teaspoon.  
  
It's the day before Louis has to leave and they spend it all together at Niall's house. They play Fifa nearly the whole afternoon, the sun too hot to go outside. Harry makes them home-made pizza for dinner, and they go a little crazy on the toppings, but it turns out delicious. How could it not, when it was made from local and fresh ingredients? Harry doesn't want anything that comes from a can anywhere near him anymore.   
  
They stuff themselves with ice cream and head to Niall's bedroom after dinner. They are talking about football when Brian comes to the door holding four bottles of bear in his hands.   
  
“Here, boys. To celebrate Louis leaving and to give 'im a good farewell,” he says as he hands them a bottle each. Harry should be surprised that he's bringing alcohol for two minors, his son included, but it is Ireland after all.  
  
“Thanks, Brian,” they say in unison and he gives them a small smile before leaving and closing the door. It is quickly opened back by Jenny, who wishes them all goodnight and slips away to her bedroom.  
  
Harry stands up and goes to the open window, taking a sip. He can see lightning firing up the sky in the distance. The air is heavy with humidity and the wind is strong, but he doesn't think it's gonna rain. From where he's standing he can't see the city lights and it's all pitch black. If there's one thing he still hasn't gotten used to, it's the absolute dark of the night.   
  
“Don't you feel afraid when it's so dark out? There's almost no moonlight and you can't see anything,” he asks all of them, turning around and sitting on the window ledge.   
  
“Hey, don't block the wind,” Liam complains and he scoots to the side. “I don't know, I grew up here and I see nothing wrong with it.” Niall nods in agreement.  
  
“I know how you feel, Harry,” Louis chimes in. He's wearing a white striped t-shirt and a pair of track shorts. He looks lovely, Harry thinks. “Every time I come back for the summer it feels a little eerie. Too silent, too dark.”  
  
“But you wanna know something scary that happened around here?” Liam tells him in a suspicious tone. Harry joins them on the floor and they sit almost in a circle.   
  
“What?” He asks, and they are all looking at Liam.  
  
“Remember the garage incident?” He tells them and they all nod.  
  
“What garage incident?” Harry asks, his full attention turned to Liam.  
  
“A few years back, my grandma was sick. My mum and I came from the hospital and my dad was at home. The garage gate is electronic, so we only have to push a button and it opens. We push it again, it stops. One more time, and it starts to close. You know how it is, they all work like that,” Harry nods and takes a sip of his beer. “And there's a switch by the kitchen door, we can open the garage from there. So anyway, my mum and I arrive and open the gate from the car. It opens halfway and it stops. We press the button again and it starts to close. We keep pressing and it keeps stopping and closing. We're annoyed at this point because we had a cat that would slip away any chance he could, and we were afraid he was gonna go out the garage. And we can see the outline of my dad in the kitchen window, messing with the switch.”  
  
Harry is fully entranced now, barely blinking.  
  
“He was behind the curtain, but we can see him, right? Finally, after a couple of minutes of back and forth like this, the garage opens and we park the car. As soon as we enter the kitchen, in comes my dad, towel at his waist, soaking wet. 'What are you doing with the gate, I can hear it open and close' the cat is gonna get away', he keeps telling us. We just looked at him, baffled.”  
  
“Wasn't it him?” Harry asks, beer forgotten in his hand.  
  
“No, he was just as confused as we were. We don't know who we saw in the kitchen, messing with the gate, but somebody was there. My grandma died a few days later, and we think it could have been my grandpa coming to warn us.”  
  
“Man, that's fucked up,” Harry mumbles. “I would have been so scared.”  
  
“We were a little anxious about it, but nothing big. I almost pissed my pants that time at the new house, remember?” He asks them and Nialls lays back on the floor, covering his face with his hands.   
  
“I have never been this scared in my entire life,” he says, his voice muffled by his hand.  
  
“What happened, what house?” Harry asks, biting at the skin around his thumbnail, and this time Louis tells it.  
  
“Last year a friend of Liam's family was building a house. Far from the city, but opposite from our farms. We loved to visit the construction site, it was fun to see the place being built from scratch and so on. So one day, we go there to see and to mess around. It was almost dusk and we were upstairs. What were we even doing?” He asks Liam and Niall.  
  
“Messing with the tools the workers left behind,” Niall reminds him.  
  
“Oh yeah. There was no electricity yet, and it was getting dark. Niall was the first to hear it, wasn't he?”  
  
“Yeah, the creepiest sound. It sounded like the patter of a child's feet in the room next door. It came and went, and they didn't hear it at first,” Niall adds to the telling, sitting up straight again.  
  
“But it became louder and we all heard it the third time. And there was absolutely no one there but us, we were sure. I was thinking about the probabilities of a serial killer being there with us. I was still trying to be rational, you see,” he jokes but no one laughs. “And we didn't want to leave the room because we'd have to get past the room the sound was coming from to reach the stairs. But it was only getting darker and we ran like mad, skipping two steps at the time.”  
  
“We were out of there like a flash, never even looked behind us,” Liam says, nodding his head.  
  
“And then what? What was in there?” Harry asks and Louis smirks at him. He's clearly loving the attention Harry is showing him.   
  
“We felt much safer outside, but we did something that gets people killed in horror movies: we went around the house and stood in the backyard, trying to see through the window of the room. We couldn't see much, because the glass was new and still in that protective plastic, but it wasn't long before we saw a hand brush the glass. It was almost like a wave, but very fast.”  
  
“Holy shit,” Harry whispers.  
  
“And we didn't see it only once,” Niall says. “We saw it at least five times, coming and going.”  
  
“And finally my superior intellect understood what we were looking at,” Louis says, smugly and Liam rolls his eyes.  
  
“You just had a better angle,” he complains.  
  
“What was it?” Harry insists.  
  
“A bird. It was trapped inside the room, and we were seeing its wings flapping at the window, trying to escape,” Louis explains. “Not exactly supernatural, but the creepiest feeling I've ever felt.”  
  
“What did you do, then? Did you help it?”   
  
“Yeah, we went upstairs, opened the window and guided it outside,” Niall says. “It gives me shivers just remembering it.”  
  
“I got shivers just listening about it,” Harry says solemnly.  
  
“What about you, Harry? Ever had an experience like that?” Louis starts, nudging his feet with his own.  
  
“Nothing compared to this,” he confesses.  
  
“What? Tell us,” Niall says and he swallows and takes a final sip of his now empty beer bottle.  
  
“My bedroom has spotlights, you know? If I want to work on my desk there's one right up there, and there's also one right above my bed for when I wanted to read. For some reason I liked to hang wind chimes from them. I had a dreamcatcher, I had an origami one and, on the spotlight right on top of my head there was a crystal one. The cliché one, you know?” They all nod. “And one night, about two years ago, I wake up and the wind chime above my bed is swinging like crazy. I woke up from the noise of it. And I'm not talking about being moved by a gentle breeze, because the window and door were closed. I'm talking about it looking like somebody had knocked it hard. I don't know how it didn't fall on top of me.”  
  
“Did you see anything?” Niall asks.  
  
“No, and my first thought was 'how the hell did the cat jump so high up in the air to knock it', because that was the only logical explanation for that. Then I looked down and there she was, sitting at the foot of my bed and staring up at the wind chime with her yellow eyes almost back, her pupils were so dilated.”  
  
“What did you do?”  
  
“Nothing. I laid back down and fell asleep again. I only registered what happened the next day. Could even have been a dream, but I don't think so.”  
  
“That is super scary as well,” Liam admits and Harry nods.   
  
“Great, it's gonna be so easy to sleep tonight,” Niall says sarcastically and Harry can't help but agree with him.  
  
“Speaking of which, I'm gonna go,” Louis says, looking at his watch. He moves to get up but Niall stops him.  
  
“What do you mean you're going. It's barely nine.”  
  
“I know, but I have to get up early to pack. I don't have a single sock in my suitcase,” he explains and they all get up.  
  
“We'll see you again tomorrow, yeah?” Liam asks and Louis nods.   
  
“I'll stop by to say goodbye before I catch my train,” he says and they start walking down the stairs. Louis fetches his flashlight and looks at Harry. “Walk me home? I'm afraid the stories have spooked me a little,” he says and both Liam and Niall look at Harry.  
  
“Yeah, sure,” he says awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.   
  
“Want me to go with you?” Niall offers and Louis shakes his head.  
  
“No need to, you can walk Liam home if you want.”  
  
“Don't worry, Niall. Unlike some people here, I'm not a coward,” he mocks and Louis smacks him up the head. “Ouch.”  
  
“Good night, lads. See you tomorrow,” Louis says and they go down the few steps on the porch. Harry looks back to see Liam walking in the other direction and Niall standing at the doorway. He stuffs his hands in the pockets of his own shorts and walks beside Louis, letting him light their way.   
  
It's so silent he can hear the twigs and leaves crushing at the bottom of his feet. The wind is slightly cooler, and Harry stifles a shiver. They're halfway to Louis' house now. He's looking down at where the flashlight is lighting their path, not knowing how to make small talk. He doesn't have to.  
  
The beam of light from the flashlight is suddenly drawn upwards to a tree that is their way. Louis stops walking and Harry stops as well, standing by his side.  
  
“What's wrong?” He whispers. It seems wrong to be speaking loudly in such a silent night.  
  
He can barely see the boy in front of him, but catches a glimpse of white teeth before Louis' mouth crashes into his own. His eyebrows raise in surprise and his hands go immediately to Louis' waist. The kiss doesn't last longer than a few seconds before Louis is pulling away.  
  
“Couldn't leave without at least kissing you,” he whispers into Harry's ear. The hot breath makes the hairs on his neck stand up.   
  
Harry doesn't know what to say, doesn't know what to think. All he knows is that he's got a gorgeous boy willing to kiss him. And he hasn't been properly kissed in so long that goddamn it, he's gonna enjoy this.  
  
He pulls Louis by the back of his neck and kisses him hard. Louis whimpers at the back of his throat when Harry licks his lips and Louis opens his mouth for his tongue. He feels Louis' hand sneaking under his t-shirt and grinds their hips together. He's pushed back and feels the hard bark of the tree stinging his back as he's pressed up against it. He licks over Louis' front teeth to find then perfectly straight. It's not how he wants them to be.  
  
_Fuck this_ , he thinks to himself. His hands go to Louis' hair and they're the wrong texture, the wrong length. When Louis pulls away to catch his breath it's too dark for Harry to see the color in his eyes, but he knows they're the wrong shade of blue.   
  
“Fuck, Harry,” he mumbles and then he's nipping at Harry's neck, and his hand is cupping the bulge in Harry's shorts. “Didn't think I'd find such a fit guy back home to snog.”  
  
Harry hisses at the contact, and he is _so_ horny it's not even funny anymore. It doesn't matter if the boy he's kissing is not the boy he wants to kiss the most. All he thinks about is the delicious friction of him jerking him through his shorts, how much he's aching for some release, of any kind.   
  
He outright moans when Louis drops to his knees in front of him, tugging at the hem of his shorts and pulling them down. Louis looks up for a second, as if he needs Harry's consent before pulling his underwear down. The flashlight is forgotten on the floor, its beam lighting Harry's feet. It's enough for Louis to see the small nod Harry gives him. Down his underwear goes.  
  
“Big boy, huh,” Louis teases as he circles him and starts to jerk him slowly. Harry's hand immediately go to his hair as he watches Louis stick out his tongue and lick along his shaft, from the base to the head.  
  
“Jesus,” he mumbles and Louis takes him in his mouth. Harry's head spins.  
  
If they both hadn't been so engrossed in what they were doing, they probably would have heard the approaching footsteps and flickering light. But they so happened to have their eyes closed. It's Harry who notices the light through his closed eyelids first.   
  
He slowly opens his eyes and freezes. Only a fraction of a second later he feels Louis' mouth leave his cock.  
  
“Shit,” Louis says under his breath. He's up in a second and Harry fumbles, awkwardly pulling his shorts up and tucking his still impossibly hard erection back in.   
  
Standing and staring at them is Niall. Harry can't clearly see his expression, the light in his eyes too strong to be able to make out Niall's face, but from the little he can see, he looks mortified. He's holding Louis' jeans jacket in his hand, and drops it to the floor as his grips goes slack. He says nothing, just turns around and runs back to his house.  
  
“Shit, fuck,” Louis curses, cleaning his mouth with the back of his hand.  
  
“It's okay,” Harry says. His voice cracks. “I don't think he's gonna tell anyone.”  
  
“That's not the point, Harry!” He says, exasperated. “He doesn't know, doesn't know that I'm-”  
  
He doesn't finish his sentence, running after Niall and leaving Harry standing there, alone. He picks up the flashlight from the floor, along with Louis' jacket. His erection is finally going away, and he slowly walks back to the house.   
  
The porch light is on, and he sits on the steps and waits. He doesn't want Louis to be in trouble with Niall, but he doesn't regret it. Not when he knows he's not gonna have that with Niall, ever. He's jittery and restless by the time Louis comes out.   
  
“What did he say?” Harry asks him, craning his neck up to look at him. Louis shrugs his shoulder.  
  
“He's pretty upset. Asked me if Liam knew about it. When I said yes, he was hurt we kept him out of the loop. He feels like we excluded him, for some reason.”  
  
“Well, you kinda did,” Harry points out and Louis gives him a look that makes him wish he hadn't said it.   
  
“What did you want me to do? Tell this boy, who is absolutely clueless when it comes to sex, that I like to fuck men?”  
  
“I did,” Harry says and Louis shakes his head. It doesn't go unnoticed that Louis is not sitting down to chat.  
  
“He's not so upset now, but tomorrow we'll talk more. I can't leave him like this.”  
  
“You're best mates, I'm sure he'll forgive you,” Harry assures him. Louis gives him a small smile and takes the jacket Harry is handing him.  
  
“Niall has too good of a heart to stay mad at me for long, that's for sure,” Louis agrees and goes down all the steps. “I'm sorry our little fun was cut off like that.”  
  
“Me too,” Harry admits.  
  
“Will you see me off tomorrow?” Louis asks, turning on the flashlight and stepping away.  
  
“Sure, I'll be there,” Harry lies. He knows he's not gonna go, and he thinks maybe Louis knows too.   
  
“Bye, Harry. See ya,” he says and soon Harry can't make him out in the darkness anymore, the beam of his flashlight growing smaller and fainter with each step.   
  
Harry takes a deep breath and goes inside, turning off the porch light and locking the door behind him. He silently makes his way up and goes to his bedroom. He hears no sound coming from Niall's room and thinks about going in there to talk to him, but decides against it. They'll have plenty of time the next day.   
  
He takes off his clothes and crawls into bed, covering his face with his hands and groaning. This was not supposed to be happening. He was only supposed to come, be grumpy all the time, do things half-assedly and maybe strike up an occasional conversation with Jenny's stepson. He thought maybe they'd be friends, sure. He wasn't counting on wanting to spend every minute of every day with him. He certainly wasn't counting on falling for him like he did.   
  
Harry supposes he and Niall are even now. He caught Niall masturbating and Niall caught him getting his dick sucked by one of his best mates. Not quite the same thing, but isn't it normal for Harry to settle for less these days?  
  
The memory of Louis' mouth on him makes him whimper. He feels his cock thicken up and gives in. He dips his hand down his underwear and strokes himself hard while thinking of Louis finishing him off like that. He closes his eyes and thinks of those pretty lips wrapped around his length, how warm and wet the inside of his mouth felt.   
  
He bites his lips to stifle a moan, his hand moving faster. His eyes snap open when the image in his mind changes to one of Niall kneeling in front of him, the light blue of his eyes looking up at him while he sucks him off. Harry literally shakes his head to push the thought away. He can't bear to think of that right now. But it does the trick. His orgasm hits him hard, release washing over him as   
he shivers and breathes deeply. It doesn't make him feel any better.   
  
It doesn't take long for him to stand up and tip toe to the bathroom. He cleans himself with some toilet paper and washes his hands. He stares at his reflection in the mirror over the sink and mumbles to himself.  
  
“Harry Styles, you are fucked.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any other Swamp family members recognized Bunny's scary bird story? The other two happened to me, actually.


	6. Chapter 6

Harry wakes up and the first things he notices is that the lighting is weird. It's way brighter than it should be, the sun is up and he fumbles to catch his phone and check the time. It's past seven and he's slept through his alarm.   
  
He quickly throws the thin sheet over his body and stumbles to his feet. Why did nobody wake him up? He slowly makes his way to Niall's bedroom, and breathes a sigh of relief to find it empty. He puts on his clothes and rushes to brush his teeth and wash his face. He should really shower, considering last night's activity, but he doesn't bother.   
  
He skips the steps and finds his aunt Jenny in the kitchen. She smiles big when she sees him.  
  
“Good morning, darling. How are you feeling?” She asks him, walking over to him and giving him a kiss on the cheek.  
  
“I'm fine,” he says, brows furrowed in confusion. Shit, did Niall say anything? “I must have slept through my alarm, why didn't you wake me?”  
  
“Niall told me about your headache, I thought you could use some sleeping in,” she explains and takes a mug out of the cabinet.   
  
“Oh,” Harry sits at the table and folds his hands. “Where is he, by the way?”   
  
“At Louis'. Liam came over and they went there to say goodbye. You can still go over there, I think he's not taking his train until nine,” she says as she makes him tea.   
  
“I'll let them be. It's not like Louis and I are good friends or anything,” he shrugs his shoulders and acts as if the boy hadn't had his mouth on him just the night before. But his ass would have to be dragged to Louis' house if it were up to him. He couldn't face the two of them together after what happened.   
  
He takes the tea his aunt offers him and cuts himself a slice of bread, covering it up with peanut butter and adding banana slices to make a sandwich. Niall's showed him this, Elvis' favorite. He tries not to think about that as he eats and listens to Jenny chatting away.  
  
“... this month still, so we've got a lot of work ahead of us. We're cooking a sow and it's a lot of work. I think the Payne's are going to donate it this year, but I'm not sure. I for one hate the killing part, but a lot of people will be there so we need a lot of food.”  
  
Harry has a vague recollection of there being talk of the harvest fair. He hasn't put much thought to it because he'll be gone when it happens.  
  
“Aunt Jenny? Can I ask you something?” He interrupts her. It's something he's been meaning to ask her the day he arrived.  
  
“Sure, anything,” she says openly.  
  
“Don't you miss it? Being back in London?” She smiles at him, knowingly. “I mean,” he continues, “you had this whole life back there. You had a business, a great one at that, you had personal assistants, you had friends, you had  _us_ . Now you're talking about couty fairs and riding tractors and taking care of a farm in Ireland of all places, cooking and cleaning and-” he stops himself, knowing she gets the picture.  
  
“Of course I miss it, Harry. I miss going to work and not knowing what would happen that day, what lion I'd have to kill. It's quite a different reality, isn't it?” He nods, and she takes his hand on the table. “But there's more than one way to be happy, you know that. There's not just only one song worth singing.”  
  
“And you're happy here,” he tells her and she nods, smiling fondly at him.  
  
“I do. I don't regret it a bit. But I do miss you and your family. It's the only thing I felt was truly difficult to leave behind,” she confesses and Harry feels better. “But I'm so utterly in love with Brian that I don't dwell on that. And you're here now, and seeing you and Niall become friends have made me so happy that I think I'm going to burst.”  
  
Harry laughs at that. If only she knew he was beginning to fall in love with him and that Niall was avoiding him, she might have thought twice about her words. But he won't tell her.  
  
“Next time you'll have to come visit,” he tells her as he finishes eating.  
  
“I will. I think Brian will have to be dragged out of this place, but I'll surely bring Niall,” she tells him and goes to the sink. Harry beats her to it and does the breakfast dishes.   
  
It's the first time he's been left alone with no chores to do. He calls his sister and talks to her. Not about Niall, definitely not about Louis, but he listens to her talk and doesn't feel so alone anymore. He strolls around the crop and bites a wheat nub. It's crunchier and he thinks soon it'll be time for harvest.   
  
He chats with Brian when his aunt leaves for the town. He helps him organize the tool shed and talks to him about future plans. Brian is not judgemental and is patient enough to hear Harry explain about his failing college admission. It's the best talk he's had about the topic and he lets himself be hugged tightly by the man who's also become his good friend.   
  
He goes to the pasture and chats with the cows a bit. He tells an amazing joke, but gets no reaction; it's much better when he has Niall to laugh at them.   
  
His heart races when he sees Liam and Niall approaching the house from his bedroom window. He watches as they walk past the house and go into Liam's. He sees Liam motioning towards the house and Niall shaking his head. The bastard. Harry wants to punch him and kiss him better.   
  
When his aunt calls for lunch she tells him Niall called and is having lunch at Liam's.  
  
“Can you bring them this plate when you go there? I asked Niall but he forgot,” she asks him as they clear the table.  
  
“I'm not going there,” he tells her and she eyes him curiously.  
  
“Why not?”   
  
“I wasn't invited,” he explains and is leaving the kitchen when she touches his shoulder.  
  
“Did you and Niall have a falling out?” She asks, and he needs to be very careful in his lie.  
  
“Not really, but I guess we've been spending too much time together. We both need some alone time.”  
  
“I understand that, yeah,” she tells him and squeezes his shoulder before letting go.   
  
It's only at dinner time that Niall shows up. Harry is just out of the shower when he hears the door open. He hasn't bothered to lock it, but he had the decency of pulling up the shower curtain.   
  
“Sorry,” he hears Niall mumble and rolls his eyes. He finishes drying himself off and marches towards Niall's bedroom when he's done getting dressed. He knocks on the door. No answer.  
  
“Open up, Niall,” he tells him. He's pissed. Niall just won't ignore him like this, he won't have it. With a sigh, he pushes open the door and finds the room empty. He groans and goes downstairs to find them all sitting at the table and waiting for him.   
  
Brian clearly notices something is wrong, and is brief in his prayer. Harry feels Niall's hand is clammy clutching his. He makes a point of wiping it clean in his pants after they let go. He can be petty, too.   
  
He doesn't look Niall in the eye throughout the whole meal, and the conversation is flat. They don't speak at all that day. And the next.   
  
It's the third day they're not speaking and Harry is ready to climb up a wall. He can't stand Niall ignoring him like that. It seems as if every time he looks at Niall, he is watching him from the corner of his eye. It infuriates him. He's never felt this rejected before and doesn't know how to deal with this. So he does the most logical thing in the world: he calls his mum.  
  
“Hi, love,” she greets when she picks up.  
  
“Hi, mum. How are you?” He asks, shutting the door of his room for more privacy. He can hear the shower running at the end of the hall, where Niall entered just a few minutes ago.  
  
“I'm great, and you? Is everything alright?”  
  
He huffs out a laugh. His mum can read him like a book, even when she's thousands of miles away.   
  
“Yeah, I guess so,” he says, sitting down on his bed and playing with the strings of his hoodie. It's cloudy and cool today, which does nothing to improve his mood.  
  
“How is Niall?” She asks and damn it if she doesn't know him too well.   
  
“He's...I don't know. Avoiding me.”  
  
“And why is that? Did you have an argument?”  
  
“Kinda. It's hard to explain.” He hears her moving pots around and realizes he's probably interrupting her making dinner. “Are you cooking? I can call later.”  
  
“No, I can always talk to my boy,” she says and her voice drips with affection.   
  
“We had a...misunderstanding and now he won't talk to me. It made me mad at first but now I just want to reach out to him. Should I?”  
  
“Well, of course. If that's what you feel you should do. Let's do worst/best,” she suggests and Harry thinks for a few seconds before speaking.  
  
“Worst case scenario, he keeps ignoring me for a few more days. Best case, we talk it out and things get better,” he concludes. It's a great exercise for making decisions.  
  
“So, what do you think you should do?”  
  
“Talk to him. Corner him if I have to.”  
  
“Let's hope you don't,” she tells him, and he can hear the beeping of another incoming call. “It's probably your sister, she's coming over for dinner.”  
  
“Give her a kiss for me, will you?” Harry says and perks his ears. The shower stopped running. “I have to go, I think my window of opportunity is here.”  
  
“Bye, love. Call me to tell me if things worked out, okay?”  
  
“Okay. Love you, bye.”  
  
He hangs up and cracks open the door to the hallway. He waits for the bathroom door to open and steps out. Niall doesn't notice him at first. He has his towel draped around his shoulder and is cleaning his ear with a Q-tip. He's wearing tattered mismatching pajamas and looking perfect while doing so. He's looking down at his feet and almost bumps into Harry, standing right in front of him.  
  
“We need to talk,” Harry tells him firmly.   
  
Niall opens his mouth like a fish, ready to refuse, but his shoulder fall in defeat.  
  
“Yeah,” he agrees, and Harry blinks in surprise. He wasn't expecting such a quick turn of events. He goes to his bedroom, safe territory, and waits for Niall to join him. He's not looking at him, and now that Harry has him here, he has no idea what to say. Should he apologize? That's crazy, for what?  
  
“I'm sorry I haven't talked to you in the past few days,” Niall starts and Harry is relieved. He sits down on the bed, and Niall sits on his desk.   
  
“Why? I understand you were mad that day, feeling excluded and all that, but why with me?”  
  
“I was, I really was. Louis was patronizing me and treating me like a child, and I didn't like that. You treated me like a grown up and talked to me about things when you only knew me for a few days. I've known Louis literally my entire life and he's never mentioned anything to me. It hurt.”  
  
“Well he has a lot more to lose than I do,” Harry starts but stops himself. He won't make excuses for Louis.   
  
“I don't care, he should have said something. We're fine now, we talked a lot after that.” Niall crosses his arms and looks down at Harry. “When I saw you two...doing that, I was so shocked I didn't know how to process that,” he explains.   
  
“I wish you hadn't found out about Louis like that,” Harry confesses. “And I really really wish you hadn't caught us like that. I felt so embarrassed I thought I might die.”  
  
Niall's lips curve up in a smile and Harry feels his heart flutter in his chest. They'll be alright.  
  
“It's like they say, what was seen cannot be unseen. I'm tainted for life,” he jokes and Harry smirks. “When you talked about being with other boys, I knew what it was about, but it was a much different thing seeing it live like that.”  
  
“Yeah, well. You weren't supposed to.”  
  
“Because you were in such a secluded, private place, huh?” Niall teases and Harry throws a pillow at him. He dodges it and is smiling when he looks back to Harry. He feels his whole body light with relief and happiness. He has his boy back.   
  
“We were horny, okay? Would you rather us do it in your room, instead?”  
  
Niall laughs and Harry has to make a conscious effort not to hug him. You know what, fuck it.   
  
Harry stands up and hugs Niall, tight. The blonde boy hugs him back and rests his chin on Harry's shoulder. It's nothing more than a friendly hug, but Harry relishes in it. He hasn't done it yet, and he thinks he never will, again. Not when they're so open and vulnerable like that.   
  
“I'm sorry, too,” he whispers.  
  
“About what?” Niall asks, pulling away. He keeps one hand on Harry's shoulder.  
  
“For putting you through this. For making you mad at Louis, for making you embarrassed.”  
  
“Water under the bridge, mate,” Niall says and Harry giggles for absolutely no reason at all. He's just happy he's managed to make things right again.  
  
Harry remembers to call his mum the next day and tell her that things worked out. She sounds happy for him, and asks him to put Jenny on the phone. He gladly does so. He needs her to be distracted so he can approach Niall. The boy is in his bedroom, playing an Elvis tune on his guitar when Harry enters and closes the door.  
  
“What's up?” He immediately asks.  
  
“It's Friday today,” Harry tells him and Niall nods.  
  
“Yeah, that's true,” he says. Harry sits by him in bed.  
  
“It's my last Friday here, I catch the plane the afternoon of the next one.” He thinks he sees something flicker in Niall's eyes. “I won't forgive myself if I don't go out clubbing at least  _once._ I'm in fucking Ireland and I haven't been out partying yet, it's a shame. ”  
  
“Good luck with that, mate,” Niall tells him and turns his attention back to his guitar, “there's not a single place like that in here.”  
  
“That's right, that's why I'm going to Dublin.”  
  
Niall's attention is back at him in an instant.  
  
“Tonight? How will you go?”  
  
“I'll take the train. The station is close, I can go on foot.  _We_ can go on foot. If you want to go with me.” He says, eyes sparkling with hope. Niall is just staring at him. “You don't have to, if you don't want. I'm just extending an invitation.”  
  
He definitely sees something in Niall's eyes this time.   
  
“I'll go,” he says boldly. The biggest grin splits Harry face.  
  
“You know you can't tell your dad, right?” Harry checks and Niall rolls his eyes.  
  
“Of course I do. I've never been to a club before, and I think you're the best person to show me one.”  
  
Harry feels a distorted feeling of pride.   
  
“We'll need Liam's help. Do you think he'll want to join us?” Harry asks and Niall laughs.   
  
“No way, mate. But he can help, yeah.”  
  
And so Harry lays out his plan. They get ready as if they were going to bible study, and Harry stops Niall before he can leave the bathroom.  
  
“Is that how you're going to wear your hair?” He asks, one eyebrow raised.  
  
“What's wrong with it?” Niall says, running the comb through it again.  
  
“Let me,” Harry brushes Niall's hand aside and squirts a little bit of mousse he used to style his own hair into his palm and rubs it into Niall's. He does is casually, and his fingers are trembling just a little when he styles it up, making a low quif. He can smell Niall's minty breath, standing so close to his face. He swallows dry when he steps back and check how Niall looks. He's wearing dark-washed jeans and a black t-shirt. He looks dashing, Harry thinks.  
  
“It looks good, thanks,” Niall says, admiring his reflection in the mirror. “You look nice,” he tells Harry, his cheeks pink. Harry beams.  
  
He's wearing his favorite pair of jeans, the black one he hasn't worn at all after getting there. He put on a white shirt, whose first buttons he plans on opening when they're out of sight. He sprayed on some cologne and is now ready to go.   
  
He grabs his wallet and his phone. It's at 20% battery but he doesn't mind. It's not like he has plans to call anybody anyway. They make their way downstairs and are greeted by a smiling Jennifer.  
  
“Don't you boys look handsome,” she tells them and they smile back. “I really like your hair like that, Ni.”  
  
“Harry fixed it for me,” he explains and they hear a honk outside. “It's Liam. We'll go with him to his cousin't house, don't know when we'll be back. Bye Jenny.”  
  
“Bye boys, have fun,” she tells them and they wave before slipping outside and into Liam's car.  
  
“I can't believe you're actually doing this,” it's the first thing Liam tells them when they get inside.   
  
“You've got us covered, right?” Harry asks him and Liam nods.  
  
“I'm your man. You'll be at my cousin's house with me until whatever time you get home, if your dad ever asks me about it.”  
  
The drive to the station is short, and Liam drops them off with a good luck and a thumbs up. Off he goes to bible study, while Harry and Niall quickly get their tickets. The train is supposed to arrive in less than ten minutes.   
  
He can feel Niall is restless, biting his nails and jumping from foot to foot.  
  
“You can still go back, you know,” Harry tells him.   
  
“No, I want to go. It's not like I'm gonna do anything wrong there,” he explains, more to himself than Harry.   
  
Dublin is not far, and it's a little after eight when they arrive at the station and take the subway downtown. They are giddy and excited at this point. It makes Harry feel better when he sees that Niall doesn't seem to want to back out now that they're there. They walk the few blocks to the club Harry's researched about back in London and grabs Niall by his wrist when they see the building. It's still early, but there's already a short queue.   
  
“Shit, there's a man at the door,” Niall tells him, disappointed.  
  
Harry looks at the bouncer. Typical big guy with a frown.   
  
“So?”  
  
“I'm not eighteen, they'll never let me in.”  
  
Harry smirks. “Well, we'll just have to get you in like I did when I wasn't eighteen yet. Come, follow my lead.”  
  
Niall walks beside him as Harry eyes the queue and his eyes settle on a group of three tall, gorgeous young women chatting. They are by far the best looking people in the line, and Harry marches towards them.  
  
“What are you doing?” Niall whispers to him when he stands in front of them. They look at him curiously, and Harry raises his charm up.  
  
“Hello. I'm really sorry to interrupt your conversation. My name is Harry and this is Niall,” he pats Niall on the shoulder, “and we were wondering if you could do us a favor.”  
  
He's smiling, looking at three of them directly in the eye. He's done it so many times before it's second nature to him.  
  
“And what would that be?” One of them asks him.  
  
“You see, I'm eighteen, but Niall here is still seventeen. His birthday is in two weeks, though, but we're afraid the bouncer won't let us in because of that. We thought if we entered with you, we might have a chance.”  
  
The women look at each other, and he knows he's got it when one of them smiles at him. He isn't affected by her words.  
  
“If he's seventeen he shouldn't be here,” she says, and Harry looks down and bites his lips. The queue is moving and he needs it over fast.  
  
“Right, you're right. The thing is, he just found out his girlfriend is screwing around with his brother behind his back. Can you believe it?”   
  
They all look at Niall and the boy is visibly embarrassed.  
  
“We thought maybe a night out was all he needed. I promise we'll be out of your hair as soon as we enter. We just think that the bouncer would never not let you in,” he finishes and they exchange a knowing look.   
  
“Alright, you can enter with us. But don't let him drink too much,” she warns him.  
  
Just like predicted, the bouncer blocks Niall. Also, just as Harry knew, one threat of the girls about going to a different place makes him think twice. Without too much of a fuss, they're in.   
  
“Thank you so much, we appreciate it,” Harry says to the women one final time before guiding Niall to a corner.   
  
“What the hell was that?” Niall asks, baffled. He has to shout because the music is already blaring.  
  
“What?” Harry pretends he doesn't know what Niall is talking about.  
  
“That whole conversation! Where did you learn how to do that?” Niall insists.  
  
“I used to do this all the time. Practice,” he shrugs his shoulders.  
  
“It didn't even sound like you, it's like even your voice was different.”  
  
“That is called chatting up, my friend. It's an art.” He says raising his chin and Niall slaps his arm.   
  
Harry turns around to look at his surrounding, taking the place in. The stage is occupied by a DJ he doesn't know the name of, but he doesn't care. The music is good and the place is not too crowded that he can't see how it looks. They're standing under the VIP area and Harry spots a bar to his left.  
  
“Wanna get something to drink?” He asks Niall, who bites his lips and looks uncertain.   
  
“Just one,” he finally says and they make their way to the bar, bypassing the people dancing.   
  
The bartender, a man in his early twenties, eyes them over when they reach the counter, but if he thinks they look too young to be in there, he doesn't say anything.  
  
“What can I get you, boys?” He asks.  
  
“Something that doesn't taste bad,” Harry tells him. He hopes whatever drink the man makes that tastes fruity will not have a ton of alcohol in it. He can handle it, but he's not sure about Niall. The bartender is short of rolling his eyes as he hands them something called an Irish Rose, which Harry makes a point of paying for both of them, and Niall takes a sip.  
  
He doesn't wince. In fact, he smiles and asks for another.   
  
One hour later and Harry is drunk. Proper drunk. He's slurring his words and the place is spinning a bit. He's much better than Niall, though. His cheeks are red, and so are his eyes. He's not slurring, but he's speaking louder than necessary. They've moved to The Green Room, a place with actual chairs and tables. Harry discovers Niall is not much of a dancer, and he doesn't trust his own feet entirely as well.   
  
Niall is babbling about something that happened at school, but Harry is not paying attention to the words he's saying, too focused on the other boy's lips moving. He counts the number of times Niall licks over them (seven, since he started keeping tabs) and how his fingers are drumming on the table to the sound of the music.   
  
It's probably the alcohol in his system, but he can't remember ever wanting to kiss someone so much in his life.   
  
“You've been to a lot of clubs like this before?” Niall asks him, snapping him out of his mouth-staring daze.  
  
“A few times, yeah.”  
  
“It's fun, but I was expecting more,” Niall says with a shrug of his shoulders.  
  
“That's because we're not doing things properly. We should be dancing and flirting with strangers. That's the whole point of it,” Harry explains, looking at the people around them, some of them dancing, but most of them snacking and drinking at the tables.  
  
“I don't wanna flirt with strangers and I can't dance,” Niall says, throwing his hands up.   
  
“You don't have to know how to do it, just have fun while doing so,” Harry says, but he can't be one to talk. He is a terrible dancer, but put a few drinks in him and he's feeling like Fred Astaire. Maybe that's what he should do. “I'm gonna get us a pint, what do you think?”   
  
Niall nods. Harry gets up and has to steady himself for a moment. His surroundings spin for just a second before they stop, and Harry is on his way to the bar in steadier legs. The club is crowded now, and he has a hard time reaching the bar.   
  
“Two pints, please,” he asks the bartender. He thinks neither of them can handle much more than that.   
  
“I was hoping you'd ask for just one,” a voice to his side says so close to his ear that Harry jumps, “it would mean you're here alone.”  
  
Harry turns to see a man in his late twenties staring him up and down with a smile. He's wearing a suit, probably came straight from work. In any other circumstance, he would stay and chat. Hell, he  _should_ probably stay and chat. It wouldn't be the first time he'd snog a stranger at a club, and it would definitely take his mind off Niall.   
  
“I'm with someone, yes. Sorry,” his mouth says, probably making a better decision than his fogged up brain. The bartender hands him the drinks and he's off in a flash.   
  
He comes back to find Niall talking to a girl. His jaw hits the floor. She's sitting on the same stool he was just a few minutes ago, and she looks like she's not a day over eighteen herself. Fuck the bouncer, Harry thinks as he approaches them. He can't bother to fake a smile.   
  
He pops their drink on the table harshly, and they both look at him at the same time. She has long, brown hair and brown eyes. She's wearing almost no make up and is incredibly beautiful.  _Fuck.  
  
_ “Harry!” Niall says and Harry sees how drunk he really is, now that the anger rising in his throat has sobered him up a bit. “This is Sarah. Sarah, this is Harry.”  
  
“Hi, Harry,” she says to him, and Harry nods.   
  
“Hello,” he says, his tone sharper than he intended it to be. Niall doesn't seem to notice, but she does. She gives him a good look and her eyes widen.  
  
“Sarah is from the USA, Harry! She's here in an exchange program, isn't that cool?” Niall tells him, like he thinks Harry will give an actual fuck.   
  
“Sure,” Harry mumbles, and he needs to get out of there. He can't watch them flirt, can't watch the confirmation that Niall could never like him like that. “Excuse me, I need some fresh air,” he says and rushes away from the table. He doesn't look back.   
  
He intended on going out to the smoker's area, but in his hurry to get away, he realizes he's walked out of the club. He looks at the queue that is turning the corner and curses. “Fuck!”. Now he has to wait for Niall to realize he's not coming back, which could take quite some time if the girl is keeping him company.   
  
He leans against the wall and looks up to the sky. It's clear of clouds, but he can't see a single star. It's depressing to think that in a week he'll be seeing another starless sky, in another country, away from Niall.   
  
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.  
  
“I guess we're going home, huh,” he hears Niall's voice next to him and his eyes snap open. He's standing next to him with a small smile.  
  
“What are you doing here? I thought you were talking to Sarah,” he says bitterly.  
  
“I was, but you scurried off like your life depended on it, so I thought I should come along and see what's up.”  
  
“You should have stayed,” Harry says shaking his head. “It was your chance to flirt with a stranger and have a proper kiss.”  
  
“I didn't come here for that. I came to have fun with you,” he says and Harry bites his lips. If Niall weren't the sweetest boy he has ever known, he was going to push him against the wall and kiss him senseless. He doesn't. He looks at his watch and raises his brow.  
  
“We should get going if we want to take the next train,” he says. There's another one, a later one which would allow them to hang in the city a bit more, but he's not in the mood for partying anymore.   
  
“Whatever you want,” Niall says and hooks an arm around his shoulder. Harry silently murders every single butterfly in his stomach as they make their way to the train station.   
  
The minute the train starts moving Niall is out. His chin is practically touching his chest and he's snoring softly. Harry smiles fondly at him and carefully runs the back of his fingers on his hand. Niall doesn't even stir in his sleep. Harry pulls away after a few short seconds and closes his eyes. He doesn't sleep, though. He's very much aware of Niall sitting next to him, their shoulders touching. He so wants to lay his head on top of Niall's, it's almost painful. Again, he doesn't.  
  
He has to shake Niall awake when the train stops back in Mullingar. He's drooling a bit and Harry should find it disgusting, but it's so adorable he can't suppress a giggle.   
  
Niall is alert again when they walk out of the station and into the cool air. It's summer, but it's still Ireland. He seems a little more sober, and Harry is certainly not feeling drunk himself.   
  
One of the things Harry finds amazing about Niall, and that list is only getting longer, is how he can create conversation out of nothing. They're chatting away when they finally reach the dirt road that leads to the farm. There are no more lamp posts and Harry's cell has died, so he can't even use the flashlight in it. Niall knows about his discomfort in the dark and fills the silence with jokes and constant babbling. Harry can't thank him enough.  
  
He still breathes a sigh of relief when he sees the porch light of the house in the distance. It takes them no time to get there. He watches as Niall slowly fishes out the keys out of his pocket, which seems to take a tremendous amount of concentration. It's unusually funny, and they're both giggling when the door finally opens and they stumble inside.   
  
Niall is the first to see Brian. The look on his face makes Harry look up as well. He can feel the blood in his veins turn cold with the way Brian is looking at them. For a split second he thinks maybe they can get away with this, they said they would be home late, hanging out with Liam. Any hope dies the moment Brian speaks harshly, in a way Harry's never heard before.   
  
“Where were ya?”  
  
Harry and Niall exchange a look. The poor boy looks terrified, and Harry swallows dry.   
  
“Where were ya?” He repeats when neither of them says anything.  
  
“Dad, we-” Niall starts and Brian cuts him off.  
  
“Don't ya dare lie to me, Niall.”  
  
Niall looks down, unable to maintain his father's intense gaze.  
  
“I invited Niall to go out with me, sir,” Harry says. He's never called Brian sir before but it seems more than appropriate to start now. All the attention is on him now, and he has to blink a few times before continuing. “I wanted to go to a night club at least once while I was here, and I convinced him to go with me.”  
  
“Jay saw ya at the train station. She was dropping off a package for Louis and she called me to ask where ya two could possibly be going at such a time.”  
  
“We went to Dublin,” Harry speaks again. Niall is still looking down.   
  
“You went to Dub-” Brian closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose, as if he's having a hard time believing what he's hearing. “I tried calling ya,” he says to Harry directly.  
  
“My battery died,” he explains. Brian seems to be trying to read his mind with the way he's looking at him. They stay silent for a long time. “Look, it wasn't Niall's fault, okay? I pretty much had to drag him to go with me, and I promise you we did nothing wrong, we just-”  
  
“No, Harry, it's fine,” Niall speaks, his voice nothing more than a whisper. “I wanted to go, dad.”  
  
“Of course ya did,” Brian snaps back.  
  
Harry is feeling panicked. “Brian, it was all my fault, I was the one to take him, honestly.”  
  
“Niall was presented with a choice, Harry,” Brian says calmly. “He could choose between staying or disobeying and lying to his father, and he chose the latter. He's perfectly aware that every action has a consequence.”  
  
Niall seems to shrink in size at those words and Harry wants to reach out to him and hold his hand, tell him it'll be fine, but he can't.   
  
“You're not me son, Harry, and it's not me place to tell you what ya can or can't do. But ya should know that I'll be calling yar mother to tell 'er what happened.”  
  
“Of course,” he says, feeling defeated.  
  
“We'll talk more in the morning,” Brian says and turns to go upstairs. “I can see that ya drank, Niall, but don't think this will keep ya from yar chores at sunrise. And be thankful Jenny doesn't know ya weren't with Liam. Things would have been much worse,” he finishes and starts going up the stairs without sparing them another look.   
  
“Are you okay?” Harry asks, putting both his hands on Niall's shoulders and trying to meet his gaze.   
“Yeah, I'm fine,” he says, faking the saddest smile. It makes Harry's heart ache. “Let's go to bed, yeah?”  
  
“I'm really sorry, Niall. I shouldn't have asked you to come with me,” he says, and means every word of it.   
  
“Don't be sorry, I wanted to go,” Niall assures him as they go up the stairs.   
  
“Is he...is he going to hit you?” Harry asks, uncertain.  
  
“What? No, of course not,” Niall is quick to say. “I'll be punished, though. I won't get off that easily.”  
  
Harry says nothing more, too relieved that Niall's not gonna be beat up to bother with thinking about possible punishments.  
  
Harry quickly puts on his pajamas as Niall uses the bathroom. They cross in the hallway and Niall is about to enter his room when he turns to speak to Harry.  
  
“Thanks for taking me, Harry. I had a good time with you,” he says with a smile and closes the door after him.

 


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning starts off like any other. The alarm rings at five o'clock, Harry gets ready, throws on some jeans and a T-shirt and goes downstairs for breakfast, except this one his head feels like it is about to explode and he is certain that he will puke as soon as he comes near something edible.  
  
He's focusing on not tripping down the steps when he sees Jenny standing at the end of it. She looks at him and Harry looks down. Her look is full of concern and disapproval.   
  
“Harry...” She half whispers when he meets her downstairs.   
  
“So you and Brian talked, huh,” He says, and is surprised as hell when she pulls him in for a quick hug.   
  
“How could you sneak off to Dublin like that? For the brief second before Brian told me you were already home and well, I was sick to my stomach with worry.”  
  
“Sorry, I didn't want to make you worried,” he tells her as she guides them both to the kitchen with an arm around his shoulder.   
  
“What did you want, then?” She asks, fixing them both with cups of coffee. No tea for him this morning.   
  
“I don't know. Go out, have fun,” he shrugs his shoulders.  
  
“I thought you were already having fun here.”  
  
“I was. I am. It's different, you know that,” he tells her and she nods. “Are you not pissed at me? For taking Niall along?”  
  
“You didn't drag him, Harry. He went because he wanted to,” she tells him and Harry is relieved she thinks of it like that.   
  
“Where is he?”  
  
“Talking to Brian.”  
  
“Is he in too much trouble?” He asks, biting at his nails.   
  
She raises her brows. “I don't know. I try to stay out of it.”  
  
“My mum is probably forcing me to get on the first plane back once she hears about this,” Harry says, running his hands over his face and leaning back on the chair.   
  
“I'll tell Brian that I'll call her. I'll try to ease her into it.”  
  
“You don't have to. I deserve it,” he says, and his aunt is about to interrupt him when Brian and Niall walk into the kitchen. His eyes look for Niall's and the boy gives him a small smile before sitting down.  
  
“'Morning,” Brian says and Harry is quick to mumble something in return. He is amazed at how calm and at ease Brian is. He doesn't act like he's mad, but he must be. He looks at Niall, who is quiet but doesn't look too upset.   
  
He's waiting for Brian to say something to him about the night before, but instead he puts some aspirin on the table before sitting down to eat himself.   
  
“Thanks,” Harry tells him, and takes one with his coffee. His stomach isn't too bad now that he sees the world isn't ending in a blaze of screaming and punishing.   
  
“Are you coming to town with me today?” Jenny asks Brian conversationally and he nods.   
  
“Just need to get the part to exchange,” he says and sips his coffee quietly.   
  
Harry looks from Niall to Brian and then to Jenny. What the hell is happening? Did he dream getting caught the night before? He only gets to talk to Niall alone after they finish breakfast and head out to tend to the animals.  
  
“What was going on back there? Isn't your dad mad?” He asks him hushedly as they step away from the house.   
  
“Mad doesn't even begin to describe it,” Niall tells him as he grabs the buckets and stools for the milking.   
  
“How come he is acting like that, then? All calm?” He asks, sitting down and getting to work on Ginny.   
  
“Why wouldn't he be calm? We talked about it, he knows I'm sorry and he's given me some things to do as punishment. What else should he do?” He asks, confused.   
  
“I don't know, scream and not talk to you for a few days?”   
  
“That's not how me dad thinks. I'll have a busy day today, though,” he adds, and Harry doesn't know what to think. He's happy things are okay between Niall and his father, so he drops it.   
  
“Don't you have any jokes today to tell the girls?” Niall asks, hopeful. Harry looks at him, properly looks at him for the first time, and he can see the boy is tired and hungover, but not upset.   
  
“Let's imagine Ginny here wants to take an ox on a date. Where would she take it?” Harry says with a glint in his eyes. Niall's brows furrow as he thinks about an answer. He shakes his head and Harry continues, “To the mooovies.”  
  
Niall bends over with laughter at that. It's not that funny, Harry knows it, but he's laughing along, too endeared by the silly boy not to. God, he's missed this. He tries not to think about how much more he's gonna miss it when he's back home.   
  
They finish their chores quickly, and when they go back to their usual snack, Niall looks tired and rubs his eyes.   
  
“Well, I'm off to my punishment,” he says, voice low, and sighs.   
  
“What do you have to do?” Harry asks, biting his lips.  
  
“Cleaning the house is the first thing,” he says, and Harry nods.   
  
“Okay, let's start from upstairs?” Harry asks and Niall raises his brows.   
  
“You don't have to help me. It's my punishment.”  
  
“Of course I do! I'm the reason you're being punished in the first place,” Harry says and grabs the broom behind the kitchen door.  
  
“We've been over this already, it's not your fault,” Niall says with a roll of his eyes.   
  
“Well I'm helping anyway,” he says, resolute.   
  
“You don't have to, you know,” Niall tells him one last time.   
  
“I know, but I want to,” he says, and Niall looks down. When he pulls his face back up again, just a few seconds later, Harry is surprised by what he sees in his sky-colored eyes. They show fear, panic almost. It lasts over a fraction of a second before Niall is grinning widely at him, and Harry wonders if he even saw it in the first place.   
  
“Thanks, mate. I appreciate it.”  
  
And it's hard work. They wash tiles in bathrooms, scrubbing the grout clean until their hands are numb from the effort. They swipe mirrors, wash toilets, dust every single surface and thing in the house. There's sweeping and there's mopping. There's cleaning windows and doing loads of laundry in between all that. But there's also talking and laughter and small pranks that just give them more work to do.   
  
It's almost midday when they finish the inside of the house, just in time to eat lunch. Harry gobbles up just as much as Niall, starving from doing so much work in one morning.   
  
The afternoon is not easier. They wash the porch and rake the leaves around the house. They pressure wash the cows' barn and the hen house. They wash the car, and Harry is thankful to be done when he sees the storm clouds forming just above their heads. The air feels thick and it's already starting to smell like rain.   
  
They rush inside to find Jenny on the phone.   
  
“My mum?” Harry mouths to her, and she nods. He sighs and mouths “I'll talk to her later.” She nods again and continues with her conversation. From her tone she hasn't said anything about him just yet.   
  
“Are ya done?” Brian asks them, getting his raincoat before walking to the door again.  
  
“Yes, we've did everything you told us to do,” Niall answers for both of them.  
  
“Good, now ya can start painting the barn,” he says, handing them each a set of rain boots and a raincoat as well.   
  
“But it's gonna start raining, soon,” Harry starts to tell him, but the look Brian gives him shuts him up.   
  
“Let's go, Harry,” Niall says and pushes him out the door.   
  
“But we can't paint in this weather,” Harry argues with him.  
  
“That's beside the point, Harry. It's punishment,” Niall says and Harry opens his mouth to speak before closing him again. If he's going to help Niall, he'll do everything he needs to.   
  
It starts to rain as soon as they get the paint rolls ready. A light drizzle at first, but it's soon pouring and the paint is washing off before they can even finish a coat. It's mindless hard work, but Harry stays quiet. They are silent, the sound of thunder keeping them from having a proper conversation.   
Harry's feet sink in the thick mud, and he doesn't know what hurts him more, his legs or arms. He continues on painting, groaning with effort as his arms become heavier with each stroke.  
They're probably at it for no longer than an hour when Brian comes to them, holding an umbrella.  
  
“Come on in, boys, You're done for the day. Let's wash up and eat somethin', yeah?”   
  
His tone is soft and kind. They take the painting trays and rolls inside the tool shed and remove their shirts and jeans by the door. They walk inside in just their underwear, not wanting to get their recently cleaned floor dirty again. He understands why Niall is so attentful at wiping his feet on the rug every time he enters, now.   
  
“Do you wanna shower first?” Niall asks him, and Harry shakes his head.  
  
“It takes me longer to wash my hair, you go first.”  
  
Harry sits down on the very edge of the chair in his bedroom and tries not to get his things too wet while he waits. He's tired and hungry and a little cold, but these things don't bother him. He's just too happy to know that him and Niall are back on good terms, especially when he's so close to leaving. He would hate if his last week there was spent in a stupid fight.   
  
“Shower's free,” Niall tells him at his door. His tone is just cold enough for Harry to pick up on it. He doesn't have a chance to ask if anything is wrong because by the time he reaches the door Niall is already in his bedroom, door closed.   
  
He yawns and goes to the bathroom. The hot water on his cold skin and sore back muscles feels like heaven, and he spends more time under the hot stream than he should. When he gets out and goes downstairs, he plops himself down on the kitchen chair, waiting for dinner to be ready. Jenny refuses his help, for which he is immensely grateful. Brian and Niall soon join them, and they eat mostly in silence. Harry is too tired to talk.   
  
They move to the living room to watch some TV, but Harry is so sleepy he can barely keep his eyes open. He would stay longer, but Niall is paying him no attention at all. It's a little after eight when he gives up and announces he's going to bed.   
  
“Can I talk to ya for a second before ya go, Harry?” Brian tells him and he nods, following the man to the kitchen. He's not sure what he's going to hear, but he knows it's not gonna be good. He blinks in surprise when Brian smiles at him and thanks him.  
  
“What for?” He asks, genuinely confused.   
  
“For helping Niall today. Ya didn't have to, it wasn't yar punishment, but ya did. I'm proud of ya for doin' that,” he says and before Harry knows it, they're hugging. Brian feels solid against him, and Harry feels a little bit of his weariness fading.   
  
“Yar a good kid, Harry. I'm happy ya and Niall are friends,” he says and pats him on the back before going back to the living room. Harry stands there, feeling surprisingly light. When he bids them goodnight and heads to his room, he calls his mum. He knows it's something he needs to do, as much as he's dreading it. Better not postpone the inevitable. He sits on his bed and closes his eyes. She picks up in the first ring.  
  
“Hey, mum,” he greets her, and is ready to hear her stern voice. Instead, she greets him warmly.  
  
“Hi, darling, How are you? Too tired?”   
  
“Humm...”Harry mumbles. “You talked to aunt Jenny, right?” He asks, uncertain.   
  
“I did, and she told me all about your adventures from last night,” she tells him, and he's still not hearing anger.   
  
“Oh, she did, huh,” it's all he says, waiting for his mum to continue the conversation.   
  
“She also told me how you stood up for Niall and helped him with the chores he had to do as punishment.”  
  
Several seconds go by before Harry speaks again. “So you're not mad at me?”  
  
“I was when she first told me what happened. Then I wasn't anymore. It's the first time I've seen you do something like that, Harry, and I'm really proud.”  
  
It's the second time in less than ten minutes that somebody's said they're proud of him, and Harry doesn't know how to feel about that.   
  
“Good. That you're not mad at me. Thanks, I guess,” he says, awkwardly.   
  
“It's fine, darling. Things are settled there and I'm not gonna stress about it,” she assures him.  
  
“Thanks,” he says, his voice low as he yawns one more time.   
  
“You're tired, go to sleep,” she says with a giggle. Harry rubs his eyes.  
  
“I probably should, yeah. Goodnight mum, I miss you,” he says without thinking.  
  
“I miss you too, a lot. Sleep well,” she says and he hangs up.  
  
He's ready to fall asleep the second his head hits the pillow, but his body is too tired and wound up for him to fall completely asleep. He can faintly hear the sounds of Jenny and Brian going to their bedroom, and he thinks he can hear Niall closing his door as well, as he slowly drifts into sleep.  
  
He wakes up not twenty minutes later with a loud knock on his door.  
  
“Come in,” he says, his voice hoarse with sleep. He supports himself on his elbows as he watches Niall slip in and close the door after him. He turns on the lamp on his nightstand. “Niall? Is something wrong?”  
  
Niall is agitated, fidgeting and pacing back and forth by his bed.   
  
“What is it?” Harry asks him one more time, and Niall sits on his bed. Up close, his eyes are wild and he's flushed.  
  
“Kiss me,” he says, voice broken.   
  
“Wh-What?” Harry manages to squeak out. It's probably his sleepy mind playing tricks on him.   
  
“Kiss me, Harry,” he says again, this time more urgently. Harry can feel the energy coming off of him in nervous waves.  
  
“What are you talking about, Niall?” He asks, sitting up on the bed.   
  
“I'm talking about kissing! Just kiss me, please,” he says, and Harry has never seen him like this, so needy and vulnerable.   
  
“Stop that, Niall. It's not funny,” he replies, voice dry. Niall groans in frustration.  
  
“I'm not trying to be funny. For God's sake, Harry. I'm losing my mind here,” he starts. Harry is about to say something, anything, when Niall starts again. “I really want this. Just kiss me,” he pleads.   
  
Harry shakes his head. “You don't, Niall. I'm a boy, you-”  
  
“I don't _care_ that you're a boy!” Niall nearly shouts, and then brings his voice down to a whisper, his face closer to Harry's this time. “You're the most perfect person I've ever met, Harry. You're funny, you're nice, you have a heart the size of the world and you're bloody gorgeous.”  
  
Harry is stunned into silence. His mouth is so dry he couldn't speak even if he knew what to say, which he doesn't.  
  
“Ever since I saw you with Louis I've felt so...I don't even know what I'm feeling,” he runs his hands through his hairs roughly, plucking out a few strands, Harry is sure. “At first I was mad because Louis had kept me out of this whole part of his life, but then I realized I was mostly mad at you.”  
  
Harry opens his mouth to say he's sorry, even though he's not sure what he should be apologizing for, but Niall continues.  
  
“I was jealous, Harry. I was so freaking jealous of you and Louis being together that I didn't know what to do with meself.”  
  
“We were not together,” Harry mumbles, “we were just-”  
  
“I know that now,” he cuts him off. “I've been meaning to kiss you since then. I wanted to do it at the club last night. I thought drinking would make me brave, but then I didn't want to kiss you and run the risk of forgetting about it the next day. Then after today, what you did for me...” he trails off, eyes cast low. He's twisting the end of his paper-thin t-shirt with nervous fingers. He looks up at Harry and he loses his breath for a moment with how raw and honest Niall looks. “I like you, Harry. I _really_ _really_ like you. It terrifies me, but I don't care that you're a boy. You're Harry and I want you just like that.”  
  
He's looking up at Harry with expecting eyes. His shoulders are tight and his foot is tapping on the floor, the only sound in the room as he waits for Harry to say something. When he doesn't, the sparkle in his eyes fade.  
  
“Shit, I'm sorry,” he starts and gets up. With a swift movement Harry grabs him by the wrist and pulls him back down. Niall is looking at where Harry's hand is touching him, opening and closing his mouth. His breathing is ragged and Harry can't wait another second.  
  
He holds Niall's face in both his hands and brings their lips together. He presses them firmly against the other boy's, his own breath coming out in fast pants through his nose. He feels Niall melt so close to him, his shoulders relaxing.   
  
Harry's body is on fire, warmth seeping through him from where their mouths are touching. When he pulls away, he feels lightheaded.   
  
He's the first to open his eyes, and watches as Niall's flutter open. His face is bathed in golden light.  
  
“Thank you,” Niall whispers. “For kissing me, I mean,” Niall adds.  
  
It's ridiculous, all of this is, and Harry giggles. After a second, Niall follows him. With a smile still on his face, Harry kisses Niall again. It's just as soft as their first one, but after what seems like minutes of only their lips moving, he feels Niall's tongue touching his lower lip. There's no hesitation behind it, and Harry opens his mouth and lets Niall explore it anyway he wants it.   
  
He drags his tongue along the other boy's, feeling the texture and heat of his mouth. He can't resist licking over Niall's teeth, and feels a hot puff of air against his cheek when Niall huffs out a laugh. Niall pulls away first this time, and Harry palms the back of his head to keep him close. Niall is looking at him, blinking slowly.  
  
“I really like you too, Niall,” Harry whispers against his lips, and the blonde boy grins so widely that Harry pecks his lips again.   
  
“You do, huh?” Niall asks, biting his lips and Harry nods. Niall's already flushed face turns even redder and he lowers his eyes.   
  
“I do, and I've wanted to kiss you for a long time as well.”  
  
“Why didn't you?” Niall asks, looking him in the eye again.  
  
“How could I? I didn't even know you'd like kissing another boy.”  
  
“I don't think I want to kiss boys in general. Neither girls. It's mostly you I want to kiss.”  
  
Niall says that so matter-of-factly that Harry has to blink the surprise and pride he's feeling creeping up in his chest.   
  
“And did you like it? Your first proper kiss?” Harry asks with a smirk. He gets another one back before Niall kisses him again. It takes no time for it to become filled with tongue and nibbling. Harry bites his bottom lip lightly, and Niall whimpers softly. Harry can tell Niall is exploring, trying different things, and he lets him. God, he'd let Niall try anything he wanted with him.   
  
The sound of a door closing pulls them apart. Niall immediately gets up from the bed and Harry covers himself up until his chest with the sheet. The reality of what they were doing hits both of them at once.   
  
“I should get back to my room,” Niall whispers, and Harry nods. All he wants to do is pull this boy back into bed with him and kiss him until they fall asleep, but he knows he can't. “I'll see you tomorrow,” Niall whispers with a soft smile and slips out, closing the door after him.  
  
Harry lays back down with a sweet grin on his face. All his tiredness from the day has left his body like magic, and he feels lighter than air. He'll have plenty of time to think about the consequences of what they'd just said the next day, but for now he just closes his eyes and goes to sleep.   
  
He wakes up the next day and the first thought that comes through his mind is that he's so sore he can barely sit up. All his muscles are screaming at him to stop moving. But then the second thought of the day floods his mind and he's smiling and getting up without complaint.  
  
Niall likes him back. They kissed the night before. The birds are singing and the sky is blue and the world is good again. He rushes to the bathroom and finds it empty. As usual, Niall is already ready for the day before he is. He gets ready soon enough, and makes a conscious effort to put on a clean, almost not wrinkled t-shirt before going down the stairs.  
  
“Good morning,” he greets everyone. They're at the table and Niall has a particularly fond smile on his face.  
  
“You look happy today,” Jenny says as he sits down and pours himself a mug of chocolate milk.  
  
“It's a beautiful day, isn't it?” He replies and his eyes find Niall's. The boy giggles and hides his face behind the piece of toast. Both Brian and Jenny stare at them and smile, and Harry is thankful neither of them asks any more questions. He notices Niall has a little bit of strawberry jam on the corner of his mouth, and the thought that he could lick it clean if they were alone makes him almost shiver.   
  
“Will you go to Liam's later?” Jenny asks Niall, who shrugs his shoulders. “I need to talk to his mum about the fair, I'll join you if you go.”  
  
“Maybe after church,” Niall says and Harry swallows dry. He'd completely forgotten about mass. He's still not convinced Niall has actually put some thought into what they're doing, whatever it is.   
  
They walk to the barn silently, but as soon as they're indoors Niall is standing close to him, staring at him and biting his lips.   
  
“Can we keep kissing?” He asks, uncertain. “We didn't talk about it last night, but I want to kiss you more,” he says, and the flush in his cheeks betrays his more or less even tone.   
  
“We can kiss as much as you want,” Harry replies with a smirk and pulls him close.   
  
Niall immediately opens his mouth over his, and Harry feels his back hit the wall when Niall moves forward. Jesus Christ.   
  
Niall still tastes of jam and milk, and Harry licks inside his mouth eagerly. He feels Niall's hands on his hips, holding him ever so slightly, and smiles into the kiss. He brings his own hands to Niall's back, rubbing soothing circles on him and kissing him deeply.   
  
He pulls apart when it becomes more and more difficult to breathe. “We should get the chores done or we'll be late,” he whispers against Niall's lips. Niall opens his eyes slowly, and they look glossed and unfocused.  
  
“Yeah,” he clears his throat. “We should do that.”  
  
“I've got a good joke for Minerva today,” Harry says as he adjusts himself beside the cow and starts milking her. “What did the mama cow say to the baby cow?”  
  
“What?” Niall asks and Harry shushes him.   
  
“She's supposed to answer, you know,” he says and Niall smiles. “She said: it's pasture bed time.”  
  
Niall shakes his head, unable to contain a giggle that bubbles out of him as he stares at Harry in disbelief. “How do you even come up with that?”  
  
“The internet is full of cow jokes. Five minutes in and I had jokes for weeks,” he explains and turns his attention back to work. He can feel Niall is looking at him, and he keeps stealing glances from the corner of his eye. He smiles to himself. God, they should have kissed so much sooner.   
  
He's a little fidgety during mass. If Niall looks uncomfortable for kissing another boy right until they had to get into the car and go to church, he doesn't show it. Harry has made his peace with it ages ago, but he's worried about Niall.   
  
Liam and Louis' families join them after and Liam pulls them aside to ask them all about the night he'd helped sneak them out.   
  
“Did you get in trouble for helping us?” Niall asks him, and Liam shakes his head.  
  
“My parents don't even know it. I guess it wasn't much of a big deal for Jenny or Brian to tell them,” he says, looking around himself to make sure nobody is listening. His family is getting into their car and he takes a few steps back. “Come over to my house so we can talk.”  
  
They have lunch at Liam's house. Liam listens attentively as they tell him about the night club and the people they'd seen.  
  
“Heard you got into a lot of trouble,” he tells Niall, who shrugs his shoulders.  
  
“Nah, just the standard lecture from me dad.” Harry knows he was much more affected by it than he's trying to show. “And some tough chores. Harry helped me, though.” He says with a smile and Harry blushes a little. All he can think about the day before is kissing Niall. The blonde boy doesn't seem willing to tell Liam at all about them and Harry goes along with it. Even though he started considering Liam his friend as well, it's Niall's choice if he's going to say something or not.  
  
They spend part of the afternoon there and then head back to Niall's home to play video games. It's a typical Sunday with friends, but Harry is restless. He wants to be alone with Niall, wants to talk to him. And kiss him, there's that too.   
  
When they finally get to be alone is already after dinner, and Harry is on him in a flash. He kisses Niall fiercely, making up for not doing it an entire day. He's gonna be a mess when he leaves, he just knows it. If one day without kissing Niall can do this to him, he doesn't want to think about the possibility of never doing that again.  
  
He loves how eager Niall is to kiss him back, and absolutely loses it when Niall flat out moans when Harry moves down do this neck. He breathes in deeply right behind his ear, where his hairline starts. He wants to memorize how Niall smells like. A hint of pineapple shampoo and soap and freaking grass.   
  
“We should talk about this,” he says, panting. Niall looks at him confusedly.   
  
“Talk about what?”  
  
“Well,” Harry leads them to Niall's bed, where they both sit on the edge of it. “You're, you're... hum, religious, and that can be a problem for some people.” He struggles to find the right words.   
  
“Oh, _that_ ,” Niall says and smiles. “I don't have a problem with that.”  
  
“You sure?” Harry insists and Niall nods.  
  
“God is love, you said it yourself. Well, John said that, but anyway. I don't think God is going to judge me for this. I bet He's much happier that I'm showing you love instead of hate.”  
  
Harry nods. Niall nailed it.   
  
“Besides, He has bigger fish to fry. I don't think He cares that I like a boy when there's so much shit going on in this world.”  
  
Harry grins widely. Niall is so confident in his words that he wants to kiss him again. And he does, because he _can_ , because Niall lets him. He couldn't have chosen a better person to have fallen for. 

 


	8. Chapter 8

Through the following week, Harry tries not to think about the fact that he's leaving. It is easier than he expected, because nobody talks about it. Dealing with problems by ignoring them until they go away has always been his specialty, why change that now?  
  
So they go fishing, they swim in the pond – Harry swims, Niall just hangs around near the edge – they watch movies, they play video games, they share earphones as Harry shows him all the songs he has on his mp3 player. Niall has the patience to listen to them all, bless him. They listen to a lot of Elvis, Harry forever impressed by the difference in sound the vinyl provides.  
  
They walk around town for hours, Niall showing him all the stores and introducing him to the people he has yet to know. By now Harry thinks he knows almost everybody. They spend hours just walking around, admiring the beautiful landscape. Niall isn't as impressed by it anymore as Harry is, but indulges him anyway.   
  
And, in between all that, there's all the kissing. Harry can't remember enjoying kissing someone that much, and doubts he ever will. They range from butterfly kisses to ones that make him flush and have to pull his hips away just a little. He can't help but take a selfie of him kissing Niall on the cheek. The boy was caught by surprise, which you can tell by his expression in the picture. Harry wants to print a million copies of it and plaster them all over his bedroom walls when he gets home.   
  
It's Thursday, the day before he has to leave, and they're heading to the pickup truck, Harry toying nervously with the hem of his t-shirt. Niall is adamant about teaching him how to drive before he leaves, and Harry thinks it can't hurt to try it. He's surprised when Niall climbs in the driver's seat.  
  
“Thought you were going to teach me,” Harry says and Niall opens the door for him to enter.  
  
“I am,” he says and Harry sits next to him. “You'll watch me first and then you'll try. This is the clutch, this is the break and this is the gas pedal,” he says, pointing to the pedals at his feet and Harry rolls his eyes.  
  
“I know what the pedals are, Niall. It's not my first time in a car, you know.”  
  
“Who is the teacher here?”Niall teases and Harry motions for him to go on.”So, if the car is in gear it's best to start it with your foot on the clutch.” He starts the car and Harry watches as he moves his hand to the gearbox. “To get the car going, you have to get it to first gear, this one. And then you hit the gas pedal and slowly remove your foot from the clutch. Every time you switch gears you have to step on the clutch and remove your foot slowly.”  
  
“Okay, sounds simple enough.”  
  
Niall explains to him a bit more about changing gears and it's Harry's turn to sit behind the wheel. His hands are only slightly sweaty when he starts the car and lowers the emergency break.  
  
“Remember, slowly remove your feet from the clutch,” Niall reminds him.  
  
“I know, it's not rocket science,” Harry mocks and promptly stalls the car. Niall laughs at him and Harry gives him a stern glare.   
  
“You shouldn't laugh, I'm learning,” Harry scolds him and Niall clasps his hand above his mouth.  
  
“Sorry, you were just so smug about it,” he laughs again as Harry starts the car and stalls it again trying to get it going. “Step on the gas a little harder,” Niall instructs and this time the tires almost sink into the slightly muddy dirt road. It gets them going, at least. Niall gives him instructions as they drive further and further away from the house, Harry going at a very reasonable 10km an hour.   
  
“I'm really driving,” Harry says with a grin, and when he looks at Niall the boy is smiling just as wide.  
  
“You are, now make the curve,” Niall says and Harry struggles with turning and changing the gear, but manages with minimal damage to the crop close to the road. He feels great about himself and almost forgets he has to say goodbye to Niall the next day.   
  
They don't drive far, but they keep going back and forth so Harry can practice. It's almost dark when they decide to take just one more drive around the farm. When they climb out of the car, Harry is presented with a sight he'll never forget.  
  
The setting sun is making the golden crop glow. The wind sweeping the yellow strands creates the illusion of waves in a calm ocean. The plantation is surrounded by ryegrass in all directions, and he can see the faint light of the house in the distance. It takes his breath away how beautiful this place looks.   
  
Niall looks just as impressed by it as he is, and Harry does something they haven't done before. He holds Niall hand and laces their fingers together. The blonde boy gives him a soft smile.  
  
“I'm gonna miss you, you know,” he tells Harry, and he nods in agreement.  
  
“Me too,” he says, simply. Niall nods and they look back to the crop, neither saying anything else for quite a long time. Harry feels it's going to be all the goodbye he'll really need.   
  
Friday morning comes in a rush of packing and Harry's suitcase is heavier than when he arrived from all the gifts Jenny is sending his mum and sister. The whole morning is spent in preparation for the plane he's getting at four in the afternoon.   
  
When they sit down to have lunch and pray, Harry holds Niall's hand extra tight. He feels the boy squeeze it hard, and when he looks around and thinks this might be the last time they all sit together to eat, he almost cries.   
  
As much as he wants to convince himself he'll come back to visit, he knows things just don't work like that sometimes. He's hoping for the best, but expecting the worst, as usual. When everything is packed and ready to go, he goes to the barn and says goodbye to the cows, hoping to God he won't cry because of them. It's a close call. To the chickens he spares them a wave and well, he won't miss them.   
  
Liam comes around to say goodbye to him, and Harry is surprised at how tightly they hug.  
  
“Don't be a stranger, okay?” Liam tells him with a hand on the back of his neck and Harry pulls him for another hug. He's grown very fond of the teddy-bear boy.  
  
Soon, it's time to leave and he has to rush to the car before he's late. He hauls his suitcase on the back of the pickup and moves to go back inside the house to say goodbye when he finds Brian and Niall standing side by side at the door. Harry already knows they won't take him to the airport because they have business in town because of that goddman fair. Harry doesn't even want to see pictures of it.   
  
Brian is the first to step forward and hug him. “Come back to visit us anytime ya want, 'kay?” He tells him with a smile and Harry nods.  
  
“Thank you for having me here and I'm sorry for any trouble I caused.”  
  
Brian kisses him on the forehead. “No trouble at all. Call us when ya land,” he says and steps back. With a shake of his head, he and Jenny walk in to give Niall and Harry some privacy.  
  
Harry can't look him in the eye. They're standing so close and Harry physically can't move his head up to face him. Niall lifts his chin up with the tip of his fingers and Harry is met with a sad smile. They'd talked the night before, said their goodbyes with words and kisses that seemed to last for hours.  
  
“Here,” Harry tells him, handing him his phone. Niall takes it and gives him a questioning look. “Keep it, I'll get another one when I get home.”  
  
“Are you serious?” Niall asks, but doesn't make any movement to return it.  
  
“Yes, I refuse to have phone sex with you on the land line,” he jokes and Niall giggles. “Get a decent data plan so we can text, okay?” Niall nods. “The charger is on the desk in my room. My old room.” The words are bitter in his mouth.   
  
“Thanks, Harry.”  
  
“You're welcome.”  
  
The silence is heavy with words unsaid. Harry can't take it anymore and hugs Niall so strongly the air escapes the other boy's lungs. He buries his face in Niall's neck, desperately clinging to him for as long as he can, and feels the boy do the same to him.  
  
“Take care, okay?” He says, words muffled. Niall nods and steps back.   
  
“You too, have a safe flight home. Call me when you land,” he tells him and Harry bites his lips. He wants to kiss him so bad, but can't. It's the story of his life, really. Instead, he gives him the quickest peck on the cheek and hops in the pickup truck.   
  
Niall waves him goodbye and goes inside. Jenny comes out a few seconds later and gets in the car with him.  
  
“Ready to go?” She asks him, cheerful. Harry nods and she starts the car.   
  
He won't look back, he keeps telling himself as they drive away. He almost makes it. He turns just in time to see the house fade, knowing that a good piece of his heart is inside it. That he's leaving it behind. Still, he doesn't cry.   
  
Jenny must sense he's not in the mood for talking and doesn't try to engage him in conversation. The trip to Dublin seems to last forever. He looks at the scenery on the way, thinking about the first impressions he had when he'd first arrived. He never wished to turn back time this hard in his life.   
  
They arrive at the airport in silence, and Harry insists Jenny doesn't have to wait with him. He just asks her to call his mum to tell the time he'll arrive so she can pick him up since his phone is with Niall. She doesn't ask questions about it. When she reaches out to hug him, her eyes are filled with tears.  
  
“Don't cry, aunt Jenny,” he tells her with a hug. He's taller than her and rests his chin on her shoulder. “You'll come visit soon, my mum will personally come and drag you if you don't.”  
  
“I know,” she says with a breathy laugh. She wipes her eyes with the tips of her fingers and Harry kisses her on each of her cheeks. “I'm just gonna miss you so much.”  
  
“We've been through this before a couple of years ago, we'll manage,” he says, trying really hard not to cry himself, and that's true, but it doesn't lessen the pain from leaving. She nods and he hugs her one more time. “Thank you so much for letting me stay with you this past month.”  
  
“Loved every second of having you here, sweetie.” She kisses him on the forehead, and he squeezes her shoulder one last time.  
  
“I'll call you when I get home. Love you, aunt Jenny.”  
  
“Love you too, Harry,” she tells him and turns to walk away. He watches as she goes and turns to wave him goodbye. He blows her a kiss. It makes her laugh and he feels lighter himself.  
  
It's only when he arrives home and sees his mother and sister waiting for him at the gate that he allows himself to cry. He cries as he hugs them, both because he's missed them, and because he knows how much he's going to miss a certain someone. He's not sobbing, but he's sniffling quite a bit as he hugs his mum.   
  
His mother is crying too, and even though his sister rolls her eyes at that, she doesn't seem as put together as she wants to show. By the time they get to the car all eyes are dry and Harry feels quite happy, actually. He's telling them all about the trip, as if they hadn't talked constantly while he was there.  
  
He uses his mum's phone to call and let them know he's okay. He only talks to Jenny because Niall and Brian are still in town. Knowing he won't see them at the end of the day makes his chest tight.  
  
He feels better when they get home and he walks into his room. His mattress feels foreign now, so used to the one back in his room in Ireland. He feels so tired he thinks he can sleep in all his clothes. Instead, he showers and when he comes out and sees his mum has cooked him his favorite dish – lasagna – he feels he's at home again.  
  
His sister is staying for the night, and they stay up long after their mum has gone to sleep. They're both lying in Harry's bed and Gemma is twirling the handmade bracelet she got as a gift from Jenny. Harry knows what his sister is going to ask even before she opens her mouth to speak.  
  
“How did you like Niall?”  
  
Her tone is nonchalant but Harry sees right through it.  
  
“He's quite nice,” he says and she raises her eyebrows.  
  
“You seemed pretty upset when you guys fought,” she says and he rolls his eyes.  
  
“I was, but then we kissed and made up.”  
  
She raises herself on her forearms and stares at him for a long moment. Harry genuinely doesn't know how she's going to react to this. He wasn't planning on telling her, not really, but his mouth was working faster than his brain.   
  
“I fucking knew it!” She exclaims and slaps the mattress a few times for emphasis. “I knew there was something going on with you two.” She's smiling and Harry loves her for it.   
  
“He couldn't resist my charm, you know,” he jokes and she scoffs.  
  
“And you can't keep it in your pants,” she says jokingly, but Harry becomes serious.  
  
'It's not like that. I like him a lot.”  
  
“You do, huh?” She's searching his eyes and Harry nods.  
  
“I do, yeah. He's funny and sweet and too good for me, if I'm being honest.”  
  
“He probably is,” she mocks and Harry pulls her hair playfully. “Does he like you too?”  
  
“Yeah,” he says dreamingly, thinking about the way Niall touched and treated him. He misses him already. “I think he does.”  
  
“Well then he has to come and visit. I want to meet him.”  
  
And there's nothing Harry wants more in the world. To have Niall visit and meet his mum and sister and charm their pants off with his smile and accent and kindness. And he tells her all about him. He tells her he was Niall's first kiss with a boy and how that terrifies and delights him at the same time.   
  
“Do you wanna be his boyfriend? That's so juvenile of me to even be asking this,” she says with a roll of her eyes, and Harry doesn't blame her.  
  
“I don't know, we never talked about what was going to happen when I moved back to London,” he says and it occurs to him, for the first time, that maybe it didn't mean as much to Niall as it did to him. That maybe Niall was really just experimenting, and that Harry was going to be just a memory Niall would have of his first kiss with a boy.   
  
Gemma senses his change in mood. “Maybe you should talk to him about it, many people make long distance work,” she tells him, rubbing his arm soothingly.   
  
He's being silly, he knows that. Niall was the first to admit he liked him, and Harry holds on to that. His sleep is restless nonetheless.   
  
He wakes up with his mum knocking on the door. “Harry, honey. You have a phone call,” she tells him, and he rubs the sleep from his eyes before getting the phone from her.   
  
“Hello?” He says, voice hoarse from sleep.  
  
“Good morning, sunshine,” Niall's cheerful tone makes Harry's stomach flutter in excitement.   
  
“Niall,” is all he says, his voice so heavy with feelings that it overwhelms him.   
  
“Sorry we didn't get to talk last night. It was super busy and I collapsed in bed when I got home,” he says and Harry smirks.  
  
“It's okay, I know I mean so little to you that you prefer sleep over me,” he teases, but only a little.  
  
“Ha ha, very funny,” Niall mocks and his voice is serious when he speaks again. “I really am sorry, I wanted to talk to you so bad. But it was really late and I assumed you'd be sleeping.”  
  
“I know, I'm just teasing. I'm happy you called me. What time is it?”  
  
“Nine thirty, I think.”   
  
“You're done with your chores, then? How are the girls?” Harry asks, and Niall laughs.  
  
“The cows are fine, Harry. I'm fine too, thanks for asking.”  
  
Harry chuckles. “Well, you know I'm going to miss them more than I'll miss you, right?”  
  
“And I won't miss you at all, idiot,” Niall says and Harry can hear the smile in his voice from miles away.   
  
The line is silent for a long time. It's Harry who breaks it.  
  
“I kinda miss you already, you know,” he says, voice low.   
  
“Yeah, me too,” Niall says and Harry closes his eyes. He sounds truly honest. “Missed you a lot when I had to do all the chores all by myself this morning, it was a real pain,” he jokes and Harry giggles. There's the Niall he knows. God, he'll miss him so much.   
  
They talk for a few more minutes and if Harry closes his eyes he can almost imagine Niall is in the same room with him, chatting as they were just the day before. It's then that he decides that if Niall doesn't come and visit him, he'll do it. He'll set up camp under his window, if he has too. He really hopes it doesn't come to that. 

 


	9. Chapter 9

Harry is fidgeting. He's going to kill Karen, he swears. His eyes keep wandering to the clock above the bakery door, watching as time moves at an impossibly fast rate. It's almost four o'clock and his shift should have ended one hour ago.   
  
He taps his foot on the floor and fakes his best smile to get the client's order, and tries his best not to mess it up. He's too distracted. On any other day he wouldn't mind it, really. But Niall's flight is probably landing right now and he's supposed to be there to welcome him, damnit.   
  
He's considering telling his boss he really has to go, Karen being there or not, when she slams open the door, making the small bell chime loudly. She's panting and she has her helmet hooked in her arm.  
  
“I'm so sorry,” she tells him before he can even say anything. “The car wouldn't start, and then the bus didn't come and I waited thirty minutes for nothing, and then it took me even longer to call Eric to pick me up on his bike,” she finishes, still panting.   
  
“It's okay,” he says, anger gone in an instant. He smiles to show that things are fine, but he's already untying his apron as they move into the back.   
  
“I know today's the day your friend will arrive, and I'm really sorry,” she says again and Harry runs his hand down her arm.  
  
“Don't worry about it, I think there's still time,” he lies. He gets his phone from his locker and sees two missed calls and a text from his sister.   
_  
We couldn't wait anymore, we're off. We'll see you back at home._   
  
With a sigh he takes off the net from his hair and tries to style it with his fingers. It's almost reaching his shoulders and he's planning on growing it much longer. His original plan was to take a quick shower before heading to the airport with his mum and sister, but it's too late for that now.  
  
He says goodbye to Karen and his boss and jogs to the subway station, rucksack bouncing on his back. The ride to his house takes about half an hour, and he's too impatient to even listen to music.   
Right after he got back from Ireland he got himself a job at a bakery. It was supposed to be just a gig to get some money, but it turned out he really enjoyed it. It was his first real job and he was getting some good money out of it. Maybe one day he'll open his own.  
  
When he gets to the building, he jumps two steps at a time to get to his flat. He can hear voices inside and laughter when he unlocks the door. All eyes turn to him and he can see his aunt Jenny is already getting up to greet him.  
  
“Hi, aunt Jenny,” he tells her as they hug tight. Her hair is almost black in color this time, and Harry is so happy to see her he laughs for no reason at all. “I'm sorry I wasn't there to pick you up, I was caught up at work.” As soon as they pull apart, his eyes scan the room. No sign of Niall.  
  
“Niall's in the bathroom,” Gemma tells him with a raise of her brow. As if on cue, he hears the faint sound of the toilet flushing.   
  
“He's a very nice boy,” his mum tells him, and Harry beams with pride. Yes, he is.   
  
When Niall enters the living room, his eyes shine when he spots Harry. His hair is up, just like Harry used to fix it when they were together a few months ago. He's wearing jeans and a t-shirt Harry recognized as the one he accidentally left behind. It looks better on Niall anyway.   
  
In two steps they're hugging. Harry holds on tight to him, patting him on the back. He is very much aware that all eyes are on them, and only Gemma knows about them, so he steps back too soon.   
  
“Hey,” he tells Niall.   
  
The blue-eyed boy smiles at him, and Harry sees the braces on his teeth. He'd almost killed him when he found out he got them.   
  
“Hi,” he says in response, and Harry sees he wants to hug him and kiss him properly just as much as he does.   
  
“There's tea in the kitchen, love,” his mum tells him and Harry nods, getting himself a mug and settling down on the couch opposite Niall's  
  
The happiness in the room is palpable. Everybody is smiling as they speak, and Harry sneaks up glances at Niall, mouthing the words “I missed you”, getting a shy smile in return. He feels his sister nudge him and interrupt the conversation.  
  
“Harry, show Niall your room. He'll be staying there while he's visiting, isn't he?” She says and Harry promises to buy her a better Christmas gift for next year.   
  
He gets up and Niall follows him. Harry peeks into the living room and sees nobody is paying them any attention, so he silently closes the door after Niall. The blonde boy is on top of him in a flash.  
  
Harry is hugged tight, and he circles Niall with his arms, keeping them so close he feels the warmth of the the solid body glued to his. He kisses Niall harshly, crushing their lips together and opening them up for Niall's tongue. God, he's missed him.  
  
“God, I've missed you,” he tells him between kisses and Niall pulls away, smiling at him in a way that makes Harry's heart flutter inside his chest, seeming to big to fit in him. He buries his face in Niall's neck and takes a deep breath. The younger boy smells just like he remembers it.   
  
“Me too. You look amazing,” he tells him and Harry giggles. He pulls him close again in a hug that he wishes would last forever. He's aware that his hair is a mess, that his clothes are dirty with flour and that he probably stinks a bit, but Niall doesn't seem to care, so he doesn't either. He just wants to hold Niall and never let him go.   
  
“You won't go back to Ireland, I won't let you,” he says. He's really wearing his heart in his sleeve.   
  
“I'll drag you with me. I could use an extra pair of hands,” he says and kisses Harry again. He feels his whole body relax as Niall kisses him deeply and slowly. “Do the braces feel too terrible?” He asks, self-conscious.  
  
Harry shakes his head. “Can't even feel you have them. But I still hate them. Your smile was perfect, no need to change it.” He's still grumpy about it.   
  
“Well if I want a better boyfriend, I'll have to work on them. Can't settle for you for much longer.”  
  
Harry sticks his tongue out at him, and Niall's face is so close to him that he has time to catch it and suck on it. Harry whimpers. Loudly.   
  
“Shit, I forgot my mum is in the next room,” he says, and he moves back one step.   
  
Niall runs his hand through his hair and his eyes meet Harry's. They start giggling for no reason, and a few seconds later they are full on laughing, Harry wiping at his eyes when his mum knocks on the door and enters the room.   
  
She smiles fondly at them. “Boys, we'll go out to eat tonight. We'll leave in about an hour, if you want to get yourselves ready.”  
  
They nod and are still laughing when she closes the door again.   
  
“I'm happy you're here, Niall,” he says and the boy nods.  
  
“Me too. Not because of you, I've just always wanted to visit London,” he mocks and Harry walks past him, slapping his bum. Niall squeaks and laughs.  
  
“I'll take a shower, make yourself at home,” he says and Niall nods, sitting down on Harry's bed.   
  
It's like him and Niall have never been apart. They fall in the same pattern of jokes on the way to the restaurant, talking about nothing and having a blast. Harry is particularly happy to see how delighted his mum is to be with her best friend again.   
  
During dinner time Niall succeeds in charming his mum and sister completely. He's making funny impressions, and he can pull off anybody they throw at him.   
  
“Do Ellen DeGeneres,” his sister suggests and Harry spits out water when he laughs.  
  
“He doesn't have to do anything, he looks just like her,” he jokes and Niall glares at him before imitating her perfectly.   
  
He feels a strange sense of pride seeing his mum and sister click with Niall so fast. It's like he's getting their approval, somehow. He and Niall share a bowl of ice cream for dessert, and they decide to walk back to the flat when they leave. Gemma takes a cab to her own place, saying goodbye and promising to come back the next day.  
  
It's a cold night, of course. It's four days before Christmas, and the city is sparkling with lights and colorful decoration. Niall has his hands in the pockets of his jacket, clearly freezing. He wants to hold him and keep him warm, but there's nothing he can do.   
  
The sting of having to be away from Niall is lessened by the laughter they share. His mum and Jenny are a bit giddy from the wine they drank during dinner, and it's always fun to see his mum like that.  
  
As soon as they enter the warm apartment and sit down, Niall is yawning into his hand. His mum catches it and asks Harry to get the extra mattress and put it in his room. They put clean sheets on it and a couple of pillows. It stays right by Harry's bed.  
  
Jenny is taking Gemma's old room, and Harry couldn't be more grateful for it. They get ready for bed in comfortable silence, the only difference being that they are sharing a sink to brush their teeth in Harry's flat, instead of Niall's house.   
  
“Good night, Anne. Thank you for having us,” Niall tells Harry's mum and she hugs him. Harry can tell how much she likes him already.  
  
“My pleasure, love. Good night, get some rest. We have a full day tomorrow,” she winks at him and they all say goodnight before retreating to their bedrooms.   
  
Harry closes his bedroom door and when he turns around, he finds Niall sitting cross-legged on the mattress on the floor. He's looking up at Harry with a pleading look on his face.   
  
“No way. You're sleeping in bed with me,” he says and Niall grins. He's on Harry's bed even before Harry himself can settle down. He catches the blanket on the mattress on the floor and puts it over the one on his bed. It can get cold at night. He doesn't bother getting another pillow, opting to share one with Niall.   
  
He lays down next to Niall on his single bed and turns to his side to face him. Niall runs the tips of his fingers on Harry's cheek and the boy sighs, relaxed.  
  
“Hi,” Niall whispers, and Harry hooks up an arm on his waist and pulls Niall close to him, making their bodies touch from head to toe. Niall feels amazing.   
  
“Hi,” he says back with a grin. Niall buries his face on Harry's chest.   
  
“Always wanted to do this,” he says, voice muffled by the fabric of Harry's t-shirt. “Sleep next to you,” he finishes.  
  
“Me too,” Harry says, pressing his face against Niall's hair. He can't believe Niall is actually there with him. He stretches his arm behind his back and hits the light switch. He closes his eyes and is settling himself to sleep when Niall brings his face back up and their lips together. He kisses him lazily, with slow twirls of his tongue.   
  
“Want to kiss you for a bit,” he says and Harry nods, letting himself be kissed. It's more than he could ask for, having Niall like this. His breathing changes when Niall puts his hand on the back of Harry's neck and cranes his own to kiss him deeply. They kiss for so long that Harry feels a little bit of saliva run down the corner of his lips.   
  
The months following Harry's return were tough. Harry was finding it difficult to connect with his friends after he caught a glimpse of what having an honestly good friend felt like. They still hung out, but not as much. Of course it also had something to do with the fact that Harry was working full time and studying harder than he had in all his academic years combined. But he needs to ace his A-level exams if he wants to get a shot at studying the next fall.   
  
He'd talk to Niall pretty much every day. Texts, mostly, but Niall was a talker, typing didn't suit him much. There were calls usually two times a week; some weeks more, some less. Niall would occasionally go to the library so they could skype, but these video chats were rare and Harry thought they stung more than they soothed.  
  
And now, having him here like that, was making him dizzy.   
  
Niall moved his body on the bed just enough so that he could hover over Harry's. It puts him in an awkward situation, because he's beginning to feel a little turned on and won't be able to hide it if Niall is on top of him like that.   
  
He takes a sharp breath when he feels that Niall's beat him to it. He's firmly pressing his hips to Harry's and there's definitely a bulge there. Niall sees his reaction.  
  
“Is this okay?” He asks and Harry nods. He needs to pull the blankets off of them because he's feeling so hot he's beginning to sweat. The movement causes Niall to slip between his legs, and Harry bends his knees so he can fit better. He's not trying to hide anything now.   
  
Without a word, Niall starts to grind him. Harry hisses and Niall stills.  
  
“No, don't stop,” Harry says and kisses him again. Niall grunts and starts to move again, pressing down firmly against Harry. Both are wearing pajama bottoms and the thin fabric makes it all feel so much better.   
  
Harry wants to reach out between their bodies and feel Niall, but he's too afraid to scare him. He settles for slowly running his hands down Niall's back, paying close attention to his reaction. When he shows no resistance, he lightly cups his bum, and pushes him flush against him.   
  
“Feels nice,” Niall mumbles and Harry couldn't agree more. He captures Niall's lips in a heated kiss. He's so close to the edge he feels dizzy. “Harry...” Niall mumbles and Harry hums in return. “I think I'm gonna...gonna cum soon,” he says, almost out of breath, searching Harry's eyes for approval.  
  
“Yeah, me too,” he says and that's all the encouragement Niall needs. He moves faster, a little out of pace, and hides his face in the crook of Harry's neck. He holds onto Niall for dear life as the boy moves against him, the friction and the warm body on top of him being too much, and he's coming so hard his back arches from the mattress. Niall grunts in his ear, and it's the most raw, intense sound Harry's heard him make.   
  
He's panting so hard he almost misses Niall whispering his name in his ear. He runs his tongue along Niall's neck and feels his skin slightly damp with sweat.   
  
“Niall?” He calls, worriedly. The blonde boy hasn't said a word and is still hiding his face on Harry's neck. He pulls his face up and is relieved to find that Niall is on the verge of giggling, his eyes heavy and glossy.  
  
“I don't think I brought enough clean underpants if we keep this up,” he says and Harry laughs.   
  
“You can borrow mine, I won't let laundry stop us from doing this again.”  
  
Niall grins at him and moves to sit on his heels. Harry can make out a tiny wet spot on the front of his pajamas, and looks down on himself to see he's also soaked through the fabric.   
  
“This was okay, right?” Niall asks him, and Harry wants to roll his eyes at how absurd the question is.   
  
“More than okay,” he answers, and sits up. “Let's get cleaned up and changed.”  
  
They tiptoe to the bathroom and Niall is suddenly shy. “Do you mind if I clean up first?” He says and Harry nods, getting back to his bedroom and getting both of them clean clothes to put on. He takes his time searching through Niall's bag to find his underwear and give him some time. He knocks on the door and hands Niall clean clothes without looking up.   
  
It's a little awkward, he admits, but he won't complain. Niall is smiling at him when he comes out and he pecks him quickly before getting cleaned up himself. When he's done, he comes back to his bedroom to find Niall in his bed, covered in the blankets.  
  
“Comfy bed,” he says and Harry grins. He lays next to him and Niall covers him up, pulling Harry closer to him. “I really liked what we did today,” he says.  
  
“I really liked it, too. Want to do it again, if that's okay with you,” he tries and Niall bites his bottom lip.  
  
“I kinda want to do more things, too,” he says and Harry feels his cock twitch at the words. He swallows dry.  
  
“Whatever you want,” he says and Niall grins.   
  
“Good, I'll keep that in mind,” he says and yawns. Harry feels a little sleepy himself, but is struggling against it. He wants to keep talking to Niall, enjoy his company. Sleeping will rob him time with the blonde boy and he doesn't want that. But Niall is also having a hard time keeping his eyes open, so he gives in.  
  
“Let's sleep, huh?” He says and Niall nods. Harry turns to right side, his favorite position to sleep in, and prays that Niall gets the hint. He does. He feels Niall scoot closer to him and wrap his arm around Harry's waist.   
  
“Never took you for being the little spoon,” he whispers in Harry's ear.   
  
Harry smiles and turns his head to face Niall.  
  
“You make an excellent big spoon,” he says and kisses him before resting his head on the pillow. It's the best sleep he's had in weeks.   
  
The sound of knocking on their door wakes them both. Harry's eyes snap open and he quickly turns on the bed, just in time to see Niall rolling to the mattress on the floor, landing with a muffled “omph”, and his mother opening the door.  
  
“Good morning,” she says, voice low. If she notices how both of them are wide-eyed, she doesn't say anything. “It's a little past eight and we're getting ready for breakfast.”  
  
“We'll be right there, mum,” he tells her, voice higher than it should be. When she closes the door again he exchanges a glance with Niall and they burst into laughter.   
  
“Are you okay? You landed pretty hard and the mattress is thin,” Harry asks Niall, sitting up and petting the spot next to him. Niall sits down next to him and massages his shoulder.   
  
“Will probably need a massage later,” he says with a wink and Harry pinches his side. He giggles and moves away.   
  
“I'd forgotten how cute you look in the morning,” Harry tells him and Niall blushes.   
  
“Your voice sounds even better than I remember,” he admits and Harry pecks him, keeping his lips closed.  
  
“Good morning,” he says when he pulls away. The prospect of having Niall together with him for three whole days is the best thing he's had to look for in the last few months they'd been apart. “Ready to have some fun in London today?” He asks and wiggles his eyebrows.  
  
“Yeah, definitely,” he says and smirks, racing Harry to the bathroom. They run past the women sitting at the table and Harry pulls Niall by the t-shirt he's wearing so he can go in first. It makes zero difference to them getting ready, but it's good fun and he enjoys every second of it.   
  
When they come out his mum looks at him with a frown. “Didn't you go to bed with different pants last night?” She asks, confused.  
  
Harry glances at Niall and then back to his mum.  
  
“I...No, I was wearing these ones,” he stutters. His mother is still looking at him, but she shrugs and Harry exhales the breath he'd been holding. He makes a mental note of doing the laundry before she does.   
  
“What's for breakfast?” Niall asks, sitting at the table and making himself right at home. Jenny hands him a cup of tea and Harry sits with them, sipping at his own cup.  
  
“Gemma is bringing it. She's on her way over here.”  
  
As if on cue, the door slams open and Harry scrambles to help his sister with the bag she's holding.   
“Good morning, everyone,” she says with a smile and goes into the kitchen. She gives them all a kiss on the cheek, and Niall is beaming when it's his turn.   
  
“It seems I've got a new little brother,” she says and ruffles his blonde hair. Harry makes gagging noises at her, and Niall laughs.   
  
“What?” Jenny asks, looking at Harry and Gemma shrugs, as if she herself doesn't know why Harry is doing that.   
  
“Never mind. Dig in,” she says and they all help themselves to the treats she brought. Niall is very keen on trying any food he can get from London, and takes a bite out of everything.   
  
“Healthy appetite, huh?” Anne asks as she sips her tea with a smile. Niall swallows the big lump of food he has in his mouth and smiles at her.   
  
“Growing teenager and all that,” he says and she giggles. She also puts more food in front of him and encourages him to eat as much as he wants.   
  
When they get ready to leave – Harry with the outfit Niall has chosen for him and vice versa – Niall is a bouncing ball of energy. Not even the cold wind has an effect on him, as he's too eager to explore London.   
  
And they take him to the most famous tourist spots. They ride the tube the whole morning, going from place to place. They take pictures by Big Ben and visit St Paul's Cathedral. Harry himself has never been inside of it, but they all agree they must visit it with Niall and pay for the fee anyway.   
  
They are all in awe at the beauty of it. It's probably the most beautiful place Harry has ever entered in his life, and they all wander in different directions, admiring details about the baroque style. Harry occasionally glances at Niall and smiles to himself at how impressed the boy looks.   
  
They make the effort of climbing the steps to the dome and are all panting by the time they emerge at the top, but it's worth it. The view of the city is amazing, and Harry takes as many pictures as he can with the camera he insisted on bringing with him.   
  
He also takes several pictures of his family while they're up there. He doesn't ask them to pose for any, opting to capture their expressions as they admire the city. He takes one of Niall's profile that he's definitely going to print and hide under his pillow.   
  
He also does the most imprudent thing so far. When he makes sure nobody is paying them any attention, he kisses Niall full on the lips. It's quick and it's over before Niall can even react, but the surprised expression on his face also shows affection, and Harry grins and walks away without saying a word.  
  
They have lunch at the cafe beneath the Cathedral. There's even an organist playing while they eat, and Harry feels like life can't get any better than this.   
  
They part for the afternoon. Jenny's lived all her life in London and isn't as amazed by it as Niall is, so Gemma heads off to finish some things at work while Anne and Jenny actually decide to go to Anne's office so Jenny can look over some things and give her professional opinion as a  _fun_ thing to do.   
  
“What are we doing now?” Niall asks him excitedly.   
  
“It's a surprise,” Harry says and leads them to Picadilly. Niall is taking in London as they walk after their short tube ride. Harry smiles when Niall absent-mindedly holds his hand. It's such a natural gesture for him that Harry feels warm and fuzzy inside. He squeezes their fingers and he only lets go when they reach their destination and Harry needs to reach for his rucksack.   
  
Out of it he takes two deerstalker hats and hands one to a confused Niall. It's no secret that the boy loves Sherlock Holmes and Harry grins as Niall puts it on his head.  
  
“How do I look?” He asks, pouting his lips.   
  
“Dashing,” Harry says and gets the two tickets for their Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour. Niall's eyes light up in excitement when he realizes what they're doing and holds Harry tight in a very public display of affection.   
  
“Thanks, this is awesome,” he says as the tour guide rounds them up and they start the walk that will lead them to famous Sherlockian spots. Niall is the most attentive and pleasant company, and by the time the tour is over he's talked to everyone in their group, from children to older people who lag behind.   
  
They stop by Harry's bakery so he can meet his co-workers. Harry doesn't have to get back to work until after Christmas, so they order something Harry recommends and just sit at the small wooden tables to eat, starved after a whole afternoon of walking about.   
  
It's getting dark by the time they arrive at Harry's flat, and the whole gang is there. Gemma is cooking her famous kidney pie and the whole place smells heavenly.   
  
“I wanted to make dinner but your mother didn't let me,” Jenny tells them after they wash up and stand around, looking for something to do to help.   
  
“You're a guest, you're not cooking. Except for Christmas, then you'll get to do something.”  
  
It's a tradition in Harry's family that everybody has to cook a dish for Christmas lunch. Harry started off young, baking cupcakes when he still had to use a stool to reach the sink. His favorite now is a mash of sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, and he's going to make it again this year.   
  
He's surprised to see how fast the night went by when it's almost ten and his sister has to get the tube home. He walks her to the station while Niall stays back.   
  
“Are you enjoying your time with Niall?” She asks him as they walk down the steps to the station.   
“Yeah, I really missed him,” he confesses with a shy smile and she puts her arm around his shoulder.  
  
“I think you two look really nice together. He's sweet, like you,” she says and Harry smiles and looks down, embarrassed. It's not really his sister's thing to compliment him directly to his face.   
  
“Thanks.”  
  
“He looks to be having the time of his life, I'll tell you that,” she says and Harry nods. He really does. “You're a good boyfriend to him,” she teases and Harry rolls his eyes.   
  
“Bye, Gemma,” he tells her and hugs her as she continues to get the tube and he walks quickly back home. When he enters the flat he can see Jenny is already in bed and Niall and his mum are talking and sipping tea at the kitchen table. It warms his heart.   
  
Their voices are low, which is very unusual for Niall, but he's talking gently to her and they pay him almost no attention as he showers and changes for bed. He hears his mum yelling him good night by the bathroom door and the kitchen is empty by the time he comes out. He walks confidently to his bedroom, barely containing himself at the idea of spending another night in bed with Niall.  
  
He frowns when he pushes open the door and finds his bedroom empty. He moves back to the living room and kitchen to find them also empty. Worried, he goes back to his room and jumps out of his skin when Niall bolts from behind the open door and grabs him by the waist.   
  
“Fuck,” he screams out and puts his hand over his chest, where his heart is hammering like crazy. Niall is doubled over with laughter and Harry takes a few deep breaths to calm himself. “You scared the shit out of me. Jesus Christ,” he says, running his hand through his hair.   
  
“I'm sorry, I couldn't resist it,” Niall says, tears springing from his eyes.   
  
“Well, now you don't get a good night kiss,” Harry says, trying his best to look angry. Niall plays along.  
  
“Not even one?” He says and follows Harry into bed.   
  
“Nope. I was nice to you all day and then you do this to me,” he says and turns to his side, facing away from Niall. He hears the boy giggle and has to bite his lips not to do the same.   
  
“Please, just one,” Niall jokingly begs and scoots closer to Harry, supporting himself on his elbow and putting his hand on Harry's waist. He lifts the fabric a bit and runs the smooth pad of his thumb along Harry's skin.   
  
“You have to earn it, now,” Harry jokes and Niall nods, serious.  
  
“What do I have to do?” He says and Harry has to stop himself from saying what he really wants to say. It's a game he's not sure how to play. He bites his lips and finds Niall's eyes. The light from the street is enough to light his room to see his features. Blue eyes stare at him expectantly, and Niall swallows dry.   
  
“Touche me,” Harry whispers, feeling his mouth dry, his voice thin.   
  
Niall brings his lips to Harry's neck and starts to nibble on the skin lightly. He tugs down the collar of Harry's shirt so he can suck on a patch of skin that is going to be easy to cover the next day. But Harry doesn't care about that; all he can focus on is the way Niall's fingers have reached under his t-shirt and are smoothing the skin of his stomach. He starts to tug at it, pulling it up.  
  
“Can I take it off?” he whispers in Harry's ear and the green-eyed boy nods, lifting himself up just enough for Niall to remove his t-shirt.  
  
“Can you take off yours, too?” He asks and Niall nods, pulling it over his head in one move. He's back to kissing Harry's neck and caressing the skin of his stomach. Harry's cock is throbbing in his pants, fully hard and aching. He's never felt this needy in his entire life.   
  
Niall palms him over his pants and Harry's hips move backwards without him meaning to. He feels Niall is just as hard and he lets out a moan. Niall is encouraged by it and slips his hand inside Harry's boxers.   
  
Harry hisses. “Niall,” he whispers, and the boy holds him in his hand.   
  
“You're so hard,” Niall whispers. His voice is hoarse already, dripping with lust. Harry feels goosebumps rise on his skin. He turns to lay on his back and brings his hand to the front of Niall's pajamas.   
  
Surprising Harry, Niall quickly lowers his clothes to lay back completely bare on Harry's bed. Harry can't help but stare.  
  
“What?” Niall asks, moving his hand away from Harry. He notices the worried tone in his voice.  
  
“Nothing. Just noticing the carpet doesn't match the drapes,” he jokes and Niall laughs. It dies on his lips as Harry holds him, wrapping long fingers around his length. Niall lets out the most beautiful sound and does the same, earning himself a moan that Harry has to stifle with the back of his hand. Niall pulls his underwear down and Harry shivers when the cool air of the room hits him.  
  
“I've thought about it so many times,” Niall huffs out, jerking Harry and causing the boy to squeeze his hand around his erection just a little harder.   
  
“Yeah? Me touching you?” Harry encourages, and Niall nods.  
  
“Touching you, too,” he says and closes his eyes, unable to keep them open with the way Harry's hand is working magic on him. He opens them again when he feels Harry slide his thumb over the wet slit and suck it into his mouth. Niall sinks his head on the pillow and moans.   
  
Not even once does he stop moving his hand on Harry's hard-on. At this point they're both breathless and Harry whimpers a “kiss me” before hovering over Niall.   
  
“Thought I couldn't kiss you,” Niall teases and whines when Harry cups his sack with his free hand and starts massaging it. “Fuck,” he curses.  
  
It's the first time Harry's heard him curse like that and is a little taken aback by how sexy it sounds. Niall takes the opportunity to kiss him. The only sound in the room is of their hands, wet and fast, and lips sucking and biting.  
  
Niall's breathing fast through his nose and breaks the kiss to moan softly and tilt his head back when Harry feels the cock in his hand pulse and his fingers are wet from Niall's release. He finishes him off slowly, easing the pressure as Niall twitches under him, lips flushed and parted. He barely notices Niall stopped touching him, too focused on the beautiful boy underneath him.   
  
Niall opens his eyes slowly and giggles, completely satisfied and relaxed. Harry licks his lips playfully and feels the warm breath of the blonde boy fill his mouth as he continues to giggle.   
  
“That was insane,” he mumbles, and Harry hisses when he grabs him again and begins from where he left off. Now it's Niall who's hovering over him, kissing him deeply as he jerks Harry off. It's the best handjob of his damn life and he rides it for as long as he can, until it's impossible to contain it anymore and he spills over his stomach. Niall swallows his long moan. He's breathless when he opens his eyes and is met with a smiling Niall on top of him.   
  
“Fun, huh?” He mumbles and Niall nods. Harry pushes him off of him only long enough for him to reach his bedside table and grab a pack of wet wipes. He cleans his hand and pushes Niall to lay down as he cleans his stomach. Niall is so relaxed he's almost falling asleep. Harry smiles and takes Niall's hand, wiping it clean and tossing all the dirty tissues on the floor.   
  
Niall manages to pull his pants up and reaches for his t-shirt when Harry stops him.  
  
“Let's sleep like this,” he suggests and Niall smiles. After adjusting his own pants, Harry brings their bodies close back together, their naked torsos hot and touching.   
  
Niall is silent for a long time and Harry is on the verge of sleep himself when the boy speaks up.  
  
“Was it good?” He asks, and Harry blinks his eyes open.  
  
“Was what good?” He asks, mind cloudy with sleep.  
  
“This...” Niall whispers, and Harry can barely believe they're actually having this conversation.  
  
“Don't be silly, Niall. It was amazing, you know that.”  
  
“It was my first time doing it on someone else and I know you've had people do it for you before,” he says, eyes cast low.   
  
“Yeah, but it was my first time doing it with somebody I cared about this much,” he says and sees Niall's lip curve into a smile.   
  
“Good,” he says and kisses Harry gently. It's the last thing Harry remembers before falling asleep. 

 


	10. Chapter 10

Harry feels the delicate ornament slip from his fingers and closes his eyes, making a face before he hears the sound of it shattering on the floor next to his feet. He doesn't open his eyes until he hears his mother sigh, and is already apologizing before she can say anything.  
  
“It slipped, sorry,” he says and walks around the sharp pointy edges, careful not to step on any shard with his socked feet.  
  
He comes back with a broom and quickly sweeps up the mess he's made. He always breaks an ornament, it's pretty much a tradition at this point. It's also a tradition to always set up the Christmas tree only on Christmas Eve, and he has a vague recollection of why it started being that way, something about his mum always working until the twenty-third.  
  
This year it's extra special because he gets to do it with Niall. The blonde boy is carefully arranging the Christmas light closer to the stump. He's putting real effort into it, his tongue sticking out from the corner of his lips.  
  
The tree never looks like the ones in the magazines. Maybe it's because his mum always let it be the way he and his sister arranged it when they were little, and none of them had a good eye for this sort of thing. Jennifer is a little better at it, but with five people adding different ornaments – some beautiful, traditional ones, some cheap plastic and some hideous hand-made from when him and Gemma were children – it's almost impossible to make it look well adorned.  
  
Still, when they step back and light up the fairy lights, it looks beautiful. Harry feels his sister putting her arm around his waist and kisses her cheek. It's a job well done and they can celebrate by drinking hot chocolate and eating the cookies Harry has made. They're delicious, thank you very much.  
  
“Are you sure you don't wanna go to the mass tonight? We would all be happy to go with you,” Harry's mum asks Niall for the tenth time that day.  
  
“I'm good,” he says with a smile. “I've always been to the same church for it with me dad, it wouldn't be the same. Besides, it's a very long one and it's going to be over after midnight. There's always next year.”  
  
Harry sits by him on the couch and offers him a cookie. It's macadamia and white chocolate and Niall loves it. He's gonna have to bake him a fresh batch to take home with him. He shakes his head, not wanting to think about Niall leaving right after Christmas.  
  
“Do you miss your dad?” He asks, knowing he's never been apart from him for a single day.  
  
“A little. He said he missed me on the phone this morning and it was a little sad to hear, but we'll survive,” he says and steals the half-eaten cookie from Harry's hand. “Can I use your computer for a while? It's Louis' birthday today and I wanna Skype him.”  
  
“Knock yourself out,” Harry says and catches the notebook from the coffee table, handing it to Niall and gesturing for him to go to his bedroom for privacy. He goes to the kitchen to help his mum with anything. The chicken is already in the oven and she's doing the math of how long it needs to be cooked for it to be ready by dinner time. Jennifer is making the moroccan rice, and the kitchen smells heavenly. Gemma is finishing the crust for her kidney pie and Harry tries to help her, but they kick him out of the kitchen.  
  
Niall was in charge of the mashed sweet potatoes Harry usually made, with him being in charge of dessert this year. He'd gotten some good baking skills working at the bakery, and he'd done the cake for dessert earlier in the afternoon, and it now proudly stood above the refrigerator, just waiting to be eaten after dinner. If they had room for it, that is.  
  
A little bored, he goes to his bedroom to fetch his earbuds to listen to some music, and is planning a quick entrance and exit so he wouldn't disturb Niall, but the blonde boy waves him over and Harry stares at the pixilated picture of Louis on the screen.  
  
“Hi, Harry,” he says, his metallic voice cheery.  
  
“Hello. Hum, happy birthday,” he says with a small smile and the boy smiles back.  
  
“Thanks, happy Christmas Eve.”  
  
Harry nods and stands there, awkwardly. He hasn't really spoken to Louis since last summer and they're not really friends. He hears about him enough through Niall, who doesn't seem to be jealous at all of what happened between them a few months ago. It irritates Harry a bit, that Niall is so unaffected by it, but he'll die before admitting that to anyone. He's kept in contact with Liam, talking to him almost as much as he talks to Niall.  
  
“I just came in to... uh, grab my phone, my mum needs help in the kitchen,” he lies and takes a few steps back, waving Louis goodbye.  
  
He closes the door to his bedroom and plops himself down on the couch, zapping through channels on the TV but not paying attention to anything. Niall comes out of his room fifteen minutes later and settles himself next to him, grabbing a throw pillow and taking the remote from Harry's hand.  
  
“What are we watching?” He asks, already changing the channel to something he'd rather watch.  
  
“Don't care, just wanna be next to you,” Harry replies, voice low and deep.  
  
Niall looks at him and Harry thinks he's going to melt under that gaze. It's filled with love and affection that Niall doesn't manage to conceal. Harry thinks he doesn't even try to. This boy is always so open and honest with him that Harry feels overwhelmed sometimes. He desperately wants to tell Niall how much he loves him, but can't seem to bring himself to actually say the words. Niall doesn't need them, and it only makes Harry love him even more.  
  
Niall's hand briefly squeezes his thigh before he kisses him on the cheek lightly. Harry smiles and his face goes red.  
  
“You're cute,” Niall tells him and Harry grabs the throw pillow he's holding and uses it to smack him on the face with it. Niall laughs and Harry wants to throw himself at him and swallow every single burst of laughter that comes out from his mouth.  
  
“I'm not cute, I'm  _manly_ ,” Harry mocks, accentuating the last word with a deeper voice. Niall giggles and turns to look at Jennifer, who's been calling them for a while now.  
  
“Help set the table, we're almost ready to eat,” she tells them and they walk over to the kitchen, arranging the table according to a picture Harry got from the internet. At least the table setting is going to be pretty. And it is.  
  
After they have all sat down to eat, Harry right next to Niall, the blue-eyed boy clears his throat before speaking. “Do you mind if I say a prayer?”  
  
Gemma quickly drops the spoonful of rice she was beginning to scoop on her plate and Niall smiles at her. They all hold hands and Harry feels his own heating up against Niall's warm skin.  
  
“Dear God, we want to thank you for this delicious meal we're about to have to celebrate Your birth,” he starts, and Harry knows he should be closing his eyes and focusing, but he catches himself looking at Niall the whole time. “Also, thank You for giving me a new family to spend this time with. Lovely people who have welcomed me as their own,” Harry watches how his lips curl up in a smile at that, “so thank You. Amen.”  
  
Harry is the last one to let go of his hand. The food is great and they stuff themselves into a food coma, in true holiday spirit. Even for Niall's standards, he's eaten too much. They go to bed with full bellies and Harry cuddles Niall until he falls asleep.  
  
They are being smart enough to set up their alarms before anybody else wakes up and they aren't caught red-handed in the same bed. Harry wakes up with a hand around his cock and warm breaths in his ear. It's a delicious way to start a morning and he gladly returns the favor. Niall is left panting, cheeks flushed red and looking as freshly shagged as he could be.  
  
“Well, happy birthday Jesus,” he says and Harry gets himself in a fit of giggles that don't go away until the alarm rings and they're brought back to reality. As they make their way into the bathroom to clean up – together this time, Niall is not that shy anymore – Harry spots a few presents under the Christmas tree.  
  
When they come out clean and with brushed teeth, his mum is stepping out of the bedroom.  
  
“Looks like Santa came, huh,” she jokes and Harry hugs her tight.  
  
“Merry Christmas, mum,” he tells her and she pecks him on the cheek.  
  
“Merry Christmas, love,” she says and keeps him close, motioning for Niall to join them. She hugs him just as tight. “Merry Christmas, Niall. I'm so happy you're here with us, sweetie.” She tells him and Niall hugs her again. Harry feels a surge of affection run through him and can't help but grin like a maniac.  
  
Soon his sister joins them and Niall calls his dad. Harry insists on speaking to him and wishing him a merry Christmas, making sure he'll come to visit soon. He sure hopes so.  
  
After breakfast they decide to open their presents. Harry is happy to have some money to splurge on his family a little bit. He got his mum a beautiful watch, his sister a brand new pair of high-quality earphones and Jenny a bottle of her favorite signature perfume, and in turn got a very nice pair of boots, a fifty pound Amazon gift card and a nice, warm scarf.  
  
He is excited about his presents, sure, but he's mostly excited to give Niall his gift. He'd spent weeks looking for what he thought would be the perfect one, and while it's still not perfect, he thinks Niall will like it.  
  
“ _The kids_ ”, as his mother referred to them, are sitting on the floor amidst torn wrapping paper, and Harry is leaning back on the couch, right next to his mother's legs. Niall is sitting by the Christmas tree, and the lights cast beautiful dancing shadows on his face.  
  
“Let me give you yours,” Niall tells him and Harry is surprised to see he's actually got two presents in his hands. “Open this one first.”  
  
Harry can feel all eyes on him as he carefully unwraps it, not wanting to tear the paper. It's beautifully wrapped and he suspects it was made in the store. He opens and it's a beautiful black shirt, and it must have been expensive from the way the fabric feels in his hands.  
  
“Thank you, Niall. I loved it,” he says and hugs the boy tightly, but lets go soon.  
  
“I hope you like this one, too,” he says and Harry takes the present from his hands. Harry suspects he's going to like this even more because it was clearly wrapped by Niall. Jenny was the one to actually teach him to wrap presents neatly and he knows she didn't do it. He carefully removes the golden bow to save it, thinking about how much time it must have taken him to make it. 

 

His eyes widen when he sees what it is. A cookbook, clearly used and well-loved by the state of the pages. From it, some pieces of paper start to fall, most of them yellow with age. As Harry picks them up and puts them back inside, he sees the neat hand-writing on them. Some came from notebooks, some came from napkins and one even from a milk carton.  
  
“Me dad says mum used to be a great baker too. We never got into it much, I figured you'd have more use for it than I did,” Niall tells him with a sweet smile and he can't reply. His throat is closing up and he can feel his eyes brim with tears. It's the most thoughtful gift he's ever received and he feels overwhelmed once again by how much he's fallen for this boy.  
  
“Thanks,” he croaks out, and feels his sister lay a hand on his shoulder. He holds Niall's hand and squeezes it firmly.  
  
“That's so sweet, Niall,” Gemma tells him and Harry lets her go through the book. He can't stop looking at Niall, and the boy holds his gaze, affection coming off of him in waves.  
  
“It's not much, that's why I got the shirt to go with it,” he says and Harry wants to slap him. How dare he think something like that?  
  
“I loved it, Niall. It's the best present I've ever gotten,” he admits and his sister kicks him in the shin lightly.  
  
“Don't forget who got you your Kindle, numbnut,” she jokes and Harry giggles, pulling himself together enough to get Niall his present. It's easy enough to guess what it based on the shape of it.  
  
“Wow, I wonder what it is,” Niall teases, twirling the flat, square object in his hands before ripping it unceremoniously. He stops giggling as soon as he sees the cover of the record.  
  
It's an Elvis Presley album, better yet, a single. It's not the rarest single to get, but the version Harry got him is.  
  
“I haven't got this one, thanks!” Niall says excitedly, turning it over in his hand.  
  
“Take it out of the cover,” Harry suggests and Niall raises an eyebrow. When the record slips from the paper cover, Niall gasps and giggles. The vinyl is green, a limited edition. “Thought it would suit your Irish vibes,” Harry says proudly and Niall beams at him. It was a good gift after all.  
  
He loves the hug he gets in return and the small kiss on his shoulder. “Thank you,” Niall whispers to him, and Harry tightens his grip around him one more time before letting go.  
  
They spend Christmas day as they usually do: in ridiculous Christmas pajamas and watching Christmas movies. Anne's favorite is Home alone, Gemma's is Rent, Harry's is Jingle All the Way, Jennifer's is Die Hard and Niall's recent favorite is Elf.  
  
Harry is eternally grateful for his sister's idea of getting the mattress on Harry's bedroom and setting it on the ground so they can all sit around the living room and watch it all together. She also has the brilliant idea of getting them a blanket to snuggle under, which makes it possible for Harry to hold Niall's hand throughout most of the day.  
  
Maybe they could be doing better things with their time than watching movies, but Harry is in a room full of people he loves and next to his boy, munching on delicious food and being blissfully happy, that he doesn't think twice about it.  
  
Then comes the twenty sixth of December and it's time for Niall to leave. Harry wakes up with a sore throat and a low-grade fever that he's sure is caused by the idea of being apart from Niall. Still, he refuses to stay in bed, doesn't tell anybody about it. He'll spend his half day with Niall and enjoy it, damn it.  
  
“You're feeling a little hot,” Niall tells him when they're baking the macadamia cookies for him to take home.  
  
“I'm fine, the heater is on a little high, that's all,” he says. In spite of the ache in his throat his voice sounds normal. “Help me with the parchment paper, yeah?” He asks.  
  
“There are going to be so many cookies,” Niall tells him, rolling out the paper in the pans Harry's laid out.  
  
“I've doubled the recipe. It should last for at least the duration of your flight,” Harry teases and Niall walks behind him and bites down on his shoulder. Harry yelps and throws him a curious glance. Niall shrugs and blows him a kiss. It makes Harry giggle and look around cautiously. Nobody is around, but still.  
  
The thought of telling his mum about him and Niall has crossed his mind dozens of times in the last couple of days. He's always held back, though, because telling his mum would raise the chances of Jennifer knowing, and he doesn't know how comfortable Niall would be with that.  
  
They are quite the group at the airport, having all decided to come and say goodbye. Harry is silent all the way through, feeling his eyes burn with the fever that's probably spiked. His mother keeps eyeing him suspiciously, but she doesn't say anything.  
  
He can't face Niall when it's time to say goodbye, physically can't make his eyes turn up to meet his. He's hugged Jennifer two times now and he knows his mum is going to rush him so they can leave.  
  
“Hey,” Niall calls him, and Harry still can't look. That doesn't stop Niall from bending over and almost falling to his knees so he can face Harry. Harry smirks at that and finally looks up. “You alright?” Niall asks, concern tainting his features.  
  
“No. You're leaving,” Harry mumbles and sighs. Niall does the same and pulls him in for a hug.  
  
“You'll visit me during the summer, won'tcha?” He asks and Harry nods. “I'll miss you,” he whispers and Harry whispers back.  
  
Just like he predicted, his mum rushes them to leave, letting Jennifer and Niall cross the boarding gate and he watches as his boy looks around one more time, waving goodbye with a hand that is not secretly carrying cookies into the airplane.  
  
He thought his heartbreak from leaving Niall after their summer together was bad, but he had no idea it would actually feel worse to be the one left behind.  
  
He understands Niall has to go back, can't be away for too long because his father needs his help, but he can't help but sulk on the drive back home. Everybody is quiet and Gemma just squeezes his leg as goodbye when she gets out of the taxi and his mum and him continue their trip back to their flat.  
  
It feels empty and too silent without the Irish ball of energy to fill the space, all the nooks and crannies suddenly too bare for him to handle. He face-plants on his bed and whines when he realizes that his pillowcase smells just like Niall. He doesn't bother looking when his mother enters the room and sits by him in bed. He feels deliciously cool fingers at the nape of his neck, soothing his heated skin.  
  
“Harry, you're burning up,” his mother says, voice high and alert. He hears her shuffle around the house and bring a thermometer. He groans and put it under his arm, trying to answer her list of questions. No, he doesn't have a headache, his stomach is fine, his throat hurts a little but nothing he can't handle, he isn't nauseous and his skin isn't itchy. He tries to tell her he is just sad, but it sounds stupid even in his head.  
  
“How bad is it?” He asks when she takes the thermometer out and doesn't let him see it.  
  
“A little bad,” she says and shake it. “I'll get you some dipyrone and run you a lukewarm bath.”  
  
Harry groans. He hates those. But his mother uses the bath salts he likes and even though he is shivering when he lowers himself into the water, he's glad he has an excuse to just be miserable. He makes sure his lap his fully covered in bubbles before telling his mum to come in with tea and medicine. He can't remember the last time he's let his mum nurse him like that. It feels nice, familiar.  
  
By the time he has dinner his fever is gone and his throat almost doesn't hurt anymore, but he is still in a terrible mood and it shows. His mum is patient enough to handle it well, not making any remarks as Harry sets off to his bedroom and texts Niall. He can't bring himself to call him, afraid hearing his voice will make him sick again.  
  
He's just said goodnight to Niall when his mum enters the room. He gives her a smile and opens his mouth to thank her for taking care of him when she starts speaking.  
  
“Talking to Niall?”  
  
“Yep,” he answers, nonchalantly.  
  
“You're gonna miss him, huh?” She asks, sitting by him in bed. Harry looks down and nods.  
  
“He's my best friend.”  
  


“I see,” his mother says, and something in her tone makes Harry turn to her and carefully study her expression.  
  
“What?” He asks and she bites back a smile.  
  
“Nothing, it's just nice to see you two together. As friends.” She adds and Harry knows something is up.  
  
“What?” He asks again, feeling heat climbing up his chest, but not from fever.  
  
“Nothing,” she says and it's bullshit.  
  
“Mum,” it's all he says and she looks at him and it's all it takes. She knows. “Oh. My. God.” He says, unable to believe it. “You know?”  
  
“That you and Niall are together? Yeah.”  
  
Harry can't believe this. “Did Gemma tell you anything?”  
  
“No, Jenny did.”  
  
Harry's jaw drops to the floor. “What?” He squeaks out.  
  
“She actually just confirmed what I already suspected. Said she saw you two kissing at the dome in the cathedral.”  
  
Harry hides his face in his hands. “Are you mad?” He can't bear to look at her. “Is Jenny mad?” His stomach is doing backflips inside him.  
  
“We aren't mad, love. Jenny was the first to suspect, back when you were at her house. She doesn't mind it, Harry. None of us do.” His mother puts her hand on his shoulder and soothes him.  
  
Harry feels dizzy; he can barely muster up the courage to ask the next question. “Does Brian know?”  
  
His mother's grip tenses a bit. “He doesn't. We both think it's up to Niall to tell him when he's ready.”  
  
Harry feels himself relax and looks at his mother. “I'm sorry I hid this from you.”  
  
“Don't apologize for that. I like Niall, he's a sweet boy and he's good to you. You've come a long way since you started dating. Are you dating?” She asks him curiously.  
  
“Yeah,” he says and can't help the smile that sneaks up on him. His mother kisses his forehead and he feels a weight being lifted from his shoulders.  
  
“I'm sorry you have to be apart for such long stretches, though,” she tells him.  
  
“Me too, mum. Me too.”  
  
_Eight months later.  
_  
Harry is fidgeting. He's biting his nails, something he never does. He can't even pay attention to the beautiful surroundings as the train slowly makes its way to Mullingar. He checks his phone for the millionth time, knowing nothing's changed, but he can't help it. He tries to play a game on it but his mind can't focus for more than one minute. He can't remember ever feeling this nervous. Well, except to retake his A-level exams, which was a nightmare in and on its own.  
  
He finally starts to recognize some of the landmarks they pass through and realizes he's almost there. He calls his mum to tell her he's arrived and recognizes Liam's car when the train passes by the parking lot.  
  
He gets out and slings his rucksack on both his shoulders and goes directly to retrieve his luggage, two suitcases full to the brim of his belongings. His mother will still have to mail him some things once he's settled.  
  
He walks in the station and he finds Liam soon enough. He's growing a beard, has cut his hair very short and has started to build up some muscle on him. Harry grins.  
  
“Hey, there you are,” Liam says and hugs him tight. He hasn't seen the boy in over a year, and it warms his hear to be close to him again. “How've you been?”  
  
“Fine, good, yeah. You? You look nice,” he says and Liam grins widely.  
  
“Thanks, you too,” he says and grabs one of the suitcases from Harry's hand, wheeling it next to him.  
  
“Thank you for helping me with all this,” Harry tells him and Liam brushes him off, walking them over to his car.  
  
“My pleasure. Niall has no idea, he's gonna be so thrilled,” he says, barely containing the excitement in his voice.  
  
“I hope so,” Harry says, and his stomach sinks at the thought. Harry thanks the heavens that Liam is chatting enough for both of them as they make the short drive to Niall's house. Harry feels like he's finally coming back to his own home when he spots the house in the middle of the ryegrass. It's even more beautiful than he remembered it.  
  
Jennifer steps out of the house as soon as the car parks in front of it. Harry runs to give her a tight hug.  
  
“How was the flight?” She asks him, voice low. “Niall is upstairs, packing. He's as grumpy as can be,” she says, amused.  
  
Harry grins. “Do you think he'll snap at me when he sees me?”  
  
“Nah, he loves you too much for that,” is her reply and Harry blushes.  
  
Niall has been sour about him not coming to visit for the summer for a couple of weeks now. He's whined and outright begged Harry to come before he left for college in Dublin, but Harry insisted he was too busy working, even to go for one weekend. Which wasn't a lie, he was working his ass off, trying to make as much money as he could. God knows he'll need it.  
  
“Come on up,” she says and Harry and Liam follow her.  
  
She quietly opens the door to Niall's bedroom, and Harry takes in the sight in front of him. Niall is wearing ridiculous acid-washed jeans shorts and a navy blue t-shirt that Harry particularly loves on him, and a fucking snapback. Harry wants to flick it off of him. He's crouched next to the suitcase on the floor, looking through the clothes there.  
  
“Niall?” Jenny calls, and he doesn't turn.  
  
“Have you seen my navy blue t-shirt? I could swear I washed it, but I can't find it,” he says, and Harry bites his lips, hiding a grin.  
  
“The one you're wearing?” He says and Niall freezes. Slowly, he turns around and his eyes go wide when he sees Harry standing at the threshold. In a fraction of a second he's standing up and Harry has an armful of his boy, hugging him desperately. He smells just like home.  
  
“What are you doing here?” He asks, looking from Harry, to Liam, to Jennifer and back to Harry again. “Did they know you were coming?”  
  
“They all plotted to bring me here, actually,” he says and gives him a peck on the lips.  
  
“We'll give you some privacy,” Jennifer says and leaves with Liam, letting Harry and Niall to themselves.  
  
Harry quickly latches on Niall, kissing him hungrily. He tries to say he's missed him, but he doesn't have to. His kisses do the job just fine, and he's gasping for air in a matter of minutes.  
  
“I wish you'd come earlier, I'm leaving for Dublin tomorrow,” Niall says, a hint of pain in his voice that makes Harry smile so wide it reaches his ears.  
  
“I know, I'm coming with you,” he says and Niall doesn't get it.  
  
“I'll be at the dorms, I don't think I'll come home this first weekend,” he laments and Harry rolls his eyes.  
  
“Niall, listen. I'm coming to study with you at UCD. You're looking at their newest Business student. At least until I figure out if that's what I really want, that is.”  
  
Niall is looking at him dumbfounded. He blinks a few times, and Harry watches him amusedly.  
  
“What?” He whispers, still too surprised to form a coherent sentence.  
  
“What do you think I've been doing this whole time we've been apart? Studying and working my ass off so I could start school this fall. Please don't tell me you don't want me around, because our dorm rooms are just a few blocks apart.”  
  
The information seems to finally sink in and Niall is laughing and hugging him tight.  
  
“No way! Really?” He asks, and Harry nods with a grin. “But how?”  
  
“Well, remember when you and Liam went with Jennifer? And you two applied to be in the same room? Well, they both looked around and managed to find me one in a building close to yours. My roommate is apparently into rock and origami,” he says with a smile, and Niall kisses him again.  
  
“I can't believe you're doing this,” he says and Harry can see how happy the blonde boy looks. Well, almost a brunette now, he's letting his natural hair grow and couldn't look more beautiful if he tried.  
  
“That was what my mum said when I told her what I wanted to do,” he says and Niall giggles as he mimics her voice. “You can't decide your future based on a boy, I don't care how much you love him.”  
  
“Man, I thought she liked me,” Niall teases.  
  
“She loves you, she was just being a mum. When she saw I really wanted it, she was fully supportive. Expect frequent visits from her, though. She and Gemma are already planning to come for Halloween.”  
  
Niall says nothing, just beams at him. The moment is interrupted by a knock on the door and Brian walks in, huge smile on his face.  
  
“Harry, how are ya son?” He asks and Harry hugs him tight.  
  
“I'm good, and you?” He says and the man nods.  
  
“Good, good. Surprised, Niall?” He asks his son and Niall nods.  
  
“I can't believe you managed to keep it a secret,” he says.  
  
“Well, Jenny would have my head if I told ya,” he says and Niall giggles. “Come, let's go downstairs to eat.”  
  
They follow him to the kitchen, and when Harry sits down at the table with Liam included, and they hold hands to say their prayer, he feels like he's truly home. After dinner they take advantage of the still setting sun and Harry goes to see the cows, greeting them affectionately.  
  
“I have a whole bunch of new jokes for you, girls,” he tells them as he gently pet them in the nose. He even goes to see the chickens, but keeps from getting to close. He hasn't missed them, that's for sure.  
  
“Come, lay here with me,” Niall says and sits down on the high grass. Harry sits next to him and lays his torso down, staring at the purple sky above him. He crosses his hands behind his head and his elbows bump into Niall's, who is doing the same.  
  
A cool breeze plays with his hair and Harry feels more relaxed than he has in weeks. “Do you think we'll stand to be around each other for long?” He wonders out loud.  
  
“We lived in the same house for a whole month straight, I think we can live in the same neighborhood. We might have a couple of classes together, but I don't think we'll see each other as often as you think,” Niall muses.  
  
“No no no no, I'll be at your dorm room _all_ the time. Liam is gonna have to get used to a lot of snogging because I won't get out of your hair,” he jokes and Niall giggles.  
  
“I'd like that,” he says, and Harry turns his face to look at the boy laying next to him. _His_ boy. Blue eyes stare back at him and he grins. Niall turns his attention back to the stars above them one more time.  
  
They have a long road ahead of them, a lot of learning to do about each other. He knows they'll have to tell Brian about them at some point, and he's gonna be right by Niall's side for whatever that brings them.  
  
This new life ahead of him is terrifying, but when he he looks at Niall's profile and sees the boy take a deep breath and close his eyes, he knows they're gonna be okay. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading my story! Narry is very dear to my heart and I had a lot of fun writing this, I hope you had fun reading it, too! Comments and Kudos are very much appreciated :)
> 
> Come say hi to me on [Tumblr!](http://pinky-heaven19.tumblr.com/)


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